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The OMG SysML™ v1.0 has been issued!

September 19, 2007. The OMG SysML™ v1.0 has been issued as an "Available Specification". Refer to this link for the specification and the associated schema files. The available specification includes refinements to the final adopted specification from May 2006, which incorporates the changes from the SysML Finalization Task Force (FTF) final report that was submitted to the OMG in March, 2007.

What is OMG SysML?

The OMG systems Modeling Language (OMG SysML™) is a general-purpose graphical modeling language for specifying, analyzing, designing, and verifying complex systems that may include hardware, software, information, personnel, procedures, and facilities. In particular, the language provides graphical representations with a semantic foundation for modeling system requirements, behavior, structure, and parametrics, which is used to integrate with other engineering analysis models. SysML represents a subset of UML 2.0 with extensions needed to satisfy the requirements of the UML™ for Systems Engineering RFP as indicated in Figure 1. SysML uses the OMG XML Metadata Interchange (XMI®) to exchange modeling data between tools, and is also intended to be compatible with the evolving ISO 10303-233 systems engineering data interchange standard.

Figure 1. Relationship between SysML and UML

The UML for Systems Engineering RFP was developed jointly by the OMG and the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and issued by the OMG in March 2003. The RFP specified the requirements for extending UML to support the needs of the systems engineering community. The SysML Specification was developed in response to these requirements by the diverse group of tool vendors, end users, academia, and government representatives. The Object Management Group announced the adoption of the OMG SysML™ on July 6, 2006 and the availability of OMG SysML™ v1.0 in September 2007.

SysML Diagram Summary

The SysML diagram types are identified in Figure 2 and summarized below. Refer to the OMG SysML Tutorial for an overview of the language. (Note: Because this is a large 11.9MB file, it is recommended that you save to your desktop by right clicking and save target)

Figure 2. SysML Diagram Types

The «block» is the basic unit of structure in SysML and can be used to represent hardware, software, facilities, personnel, or any other system element. The system structure is represented by block definition diagrams and internal block diagrams. A block definition diagram describes the system hierarchy and system/component classifications. The internal block diagram describes the internal structure of a system in terms of its parts, ports, and connectors. The package diagram is used to organize the model.

The behavior diagrams include the use case diagram, activity diagram, sequence diagram, and state machine diagram. A use-case diagram provides a high-level description of functionality that is achieved through interaction among systems or system parts. The activity diagram represents the flow of data and control between activities. A sequence diagram represents the interaction between collaborating parts of a system. The state machine diagram describes the state transitions and actions that a system or its parts perform in response to events.

SysML includes a graphical construct to represent text based requirements and relate them to other model elements. The requirements diagram captures requirements hierarchies and requirements derivation, and the satisfy and verify relationships allow a modeler to relate a requirement to a model element that satisfies or verifies the requirements. The requirement diagram provides a bridge between the typical requirements management tools and the system models.

The parametric diagram represents constraints on system property values such as performance, reliability, and mass properties, and serves as a means to integrate the specification and design models with engineering analysis models.

SysML also includes an allocation relationship to represent various types of allocation, including allocation of functions to components, logical to physical components, and software to hardware.

A simple example of some of the key diagram types is highlighted in Figure 3.

Figure 3. The Four Pillars of SysML

The OMG SysML Specification includes diagram element tables in chapters 7-17 that identifies allowable symbols on each of the diagram types, as well as usage examples. Fragments corresponding to the design of a hybrid sports utility vehicle (HSUV) are included in the sample problem in Appendix B of the specification.

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Specification:

The OMG SysML™ v1.0 was issued as an "Available Specification" in September 2007. The specification can be found at the following website with the associated schema files: http://www.omg.org/technology/documents/formal/sysml.htm. Readers should refer to section 3.2 of the specification for instructions on "How to read this specification".

The available specification includes refinements to the final adopted specification from May 2006, which incorporates the changes from the SysML Finalization Task Force (FTF) final report that was submitted to the OMG in March, 2007. The specification also incorporates other editorial corrections. The requirements traceability matrix, which traces the requirements in the specification to the original requirements to the UML for SE RFP, is now contained in a separate document (ptc/2007-03-09).

Note:  The SysML Revision Task Force (RTF) was chartered at the OMG San Diego Meeting on March 30, 2007. The RTF will continue to propose refinements to the v1.0 specification for approval by the OMG. The plan will be to issue a minor revision  (e.g., OMG SysML v1.1) in 2008.

PREVIOUS SPECIFICATION VERSIONS BELOW

The supporting documents included the XMI v2.1 Serialization of the SysML Profile ( ad/06-03-02)and the SysML Glossary (ad/06-03-04) which are referenced in appendixes D and F of the specification respectively. The presentation to the OMG (ad/06-04-08) is also included below.

• SMT Final Revised Submission Presentation to ADTF (ad/06-04-08) - 26 April 2006
• SysML v1.0 Draft Support Document - XMI v2.1 Serialization (ad/06-03-02) - 3 April 2006
• SysML v1.0 Draft Support Document - Glossary (ad/06-03-04) - 3 April 2006

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Publications:

       Papers

• "Integrating Models and Simulations of Continuous Dynamics into SysML"
  Thomas Johnson, Christiaan Paredis, Roger Burkhart, Jan ' 2008

• "Utilisation de SysML pour la modélisation des réseaux de capteurs sans fil. Langages et Modèles à Objets",Nicolas Belloir, Jean-Michel Bruel, Natacha Hoang, and CongDuc Pham. (LMO'08), Montréal, Canada, 2-7 March 2008. RNTI.

• "Modeling Continuous System Dynamics in SysML"
  Thomas Johnson, Jonathan Jobe, Christiaan Paredis, Roger Burkhart, Proceedings of the IMECE 2007, Nov ' 2007

• "Survey of Model Based Systems Engineering Methodologies (MBSE)"
  Jeff A Estefan, June ' 2007

• "Simulation-Based Design Using SysML—Part 1: A Parametrics Primer",
  RS Peak, RM Burkhart, SA Friedenthal, MW Wilson, M Bajaj, I Kim, INCOSE Intl. Symposium, June ' 2007

• "Simulation-Based Design Using SysML--Part 2: Celebrating Diversity by Example",
  RS Peak, RM Burkhart, SA Friedenthal, MW Wilson, M Bajaj, I Kim, INCOSE Intl. Symposium, June ' 2007

• "An Overview of the Systems Modeling Language for Products and Systems Development",
  Laurent Balmelli, Oct ' 2006.
• "Model-driven systems development",
  L. Balmelli, D. Brown, M. Cantor, M. Mott, July ' 2006.
• "The SysML Modelling Language",
  Matthew Hause,  Fifteenth European Systems Engineering Conference, Sept ' 2006.
• "SysML and UML 2.0 Support for Activity Modeling",
  Bock. C., vol. 9 no.2, pp. 160-186, Journal of International Council of Systems Engineering, 2006.
• "Formal Performance Analysis and Simulation of UML/SysML Models for ESL Design",
  Alexander Viehl , Timo Schönwald, Oliver Bringmann, Wolfgang Rosenstiel
• "A SysML Extension for Bond Graphs Support",
  Turki S, Soriano T
• "SysML and Systems Engineering Applied to UML-Based SoC Design",
  Yves Vanderperren, Wim Dehaene
  • Presentation - SysML and Systems Engineering Applied to SOC Design
• "From UML/SysML to Matlab/Simulink: Current State and Future Perspectives",
  Yves Vanderperren, Wim Dehaene