engineering

System of systems engineering

System of systems engineering is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand System of systems engineering rather than just read about it. In short: System-of-Systems Engineering (SoSE) is a set of developing processes, tools, and methods for designing, re-designing and deploying solutions to System-of-Systems challenges. Overview System of Systems Engineering (SoSE) methodology is heavily used in U.S.

Key takeaways

System of systems engineering belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect System of systems engineering to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of System of systems engineering from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

System-of-Systems Engineering (SoSE) is a set of developing processes, tools, and methods for designing, re-designing and deploying solutions to System-of-Systems challenges.

Overview System of Systems Engineering (SoSE) methodology is heavily used in U.S. Department of Defense applications, but is increasingly being applied to non-defense related problems such as architectural design of problems in air and auto transportation, healthcare, global communication networks, search and rescue, space exploration and many other System of Systems application domains. SoSE is more than systems engineering of monolithic, complex systems because design for System-of-Systems problems is performed under some level of uncertainty in the requirements and the constituent systems, and it involves considerations in multiple levels and domains (as per and ). Whereas systems engineering focuses on building the system right, SoSE focuses on choosing the right system(s) and their interactions to satisfy the requirements. System-of-Systems Engineering and Systems Engineering are related but different fields of study. Whereas systems engineering addresses the development and operations of monolithic products, SoSE addresses the development and operations of evolving programs. In other words, traditional systems engineering seeks to optimize an individual system (i.e., the product), while SoSE seeks to optimize network of various interacting legacy and new systems brought together to satisfy multiple objectives of the program. SoSE should enable the decision-makers to understand the implications of various choices on technical performance, costs, extensibility and flexibility over time; thus, effective SoSE methodology should prepare decision-makers to design informed architectural solutions for System-of-Systems problems. Due to varied methodology and domains of applications in existing literature, there does not exist a single unified consensus for processes involved in System-of-Systems Engineering. One of the proposed SoSE frameworks, by Dr. Daniel A. DeLaurentis, recommends a three-phase method where a SoS problem is defined (understood), abstracted, modeled and analyzed for behavioral patterns. More information on this method and other proposed methods can be found in the listed SoSE focused organizations and SoSE literature in the subsequent sections.

See also Enterprise systems engineering System of systems Enterprise architecture

References

Further reading Charles B. Keating, Polinpapilinho F. Katina (2011) "Systems of systems engineering: Prospects and challenges for the emerging field," International Journal of System of Systems Engineering, 2(2/3), 234–256. http://doi.org/10.1504/IJSSE.2011.040556 Kenneth Cureton, F. Stan Settlers, "System-of-Systems Architecting: Educational Findings and Implications," 2005 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Waikoloa, Hawaii, October 10–12, 2005. pp. 2726–2731. Mo Jamshidi, "System-of-Systems Engineering — A Definition," IEEE SMC 2005, Big Island, Hawaii, URL: http://ieeesmc2005.unm.edu/SoSE_Defn.htm Saurabh Mittal, Jose L. Risco Martin, "Netcentric System of Systems Engineering with DEVS Unified Process", CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2013 URL:http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439827062 Charles Keating, Ralph Rogers, Resit Unal, David Dryer, et al. "System of Systems Engineering," Engineering Management Journal, Vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 36. Charles Keating, "Research Foundations for System of Systems Engineering," 2005 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Waikoloa, Hawaii, October 10–12, 2005. pp. 2720–2725. Jack Ring, Azad Madni, "Key Challenges and Opportunities in 'System of Systems' Engineering," 2005 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Waikoloa, Hawaii, October 10–12, 2005. pp. 973–978. R.E. Raygan, "Configuration management in a system-of-systems environment delivering IT services," 2007 IEEE International Engineering Management Conference, Austin, Texas, July 29, 2007-Aug, 1 2007. pp. 330 – 335. D. Luzeaux & JR Ruault, "Systems of Systems", ISTE Ltd and John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2010 D. Luzeaux, JR Ruault & JL Wippler, "Complex System and Systems of Systems Engineering", ISTE Ltd and John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2011

External links System of Systems Signature Area at Purdue University's College of Engineering (Apr 2015 - content no longer specific to System of Systems) National Centers for System of Systems Engineering at Old Dominion University (Apr 2015 - content blocked) Center for Intelligent Networked Systems at Stevens Institute of Technology (Apr 2015 - page timed out, presumed to no longer exist) System of Systems Engineering Center of Excellence (Apr 2015 - no SOSE content)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with System of systems engineering

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what System of systems engineering claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to System of systems engineering before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about System of systems engineering ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of System of systems engineering

In research: System of systems engineering appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses System of systems engineering in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: System of systems engineering is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Complex systems theory, Systems engineering, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for System of systems engineering outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study System of systems engineering in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what System of systems engineering means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain System of systems engineering out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is System of systems engineering in simple terms?

System-of-Systems Engineering (SoSE) is a set of developing processes, tools, and methods for designing, re-designing and deploying solutions to System-of-Systems challenges. Overview System of Systems Engineering (SoSE) methodology is heavily used in U.S.

Why does System of systems engineering matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study System of systems engineering?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on System of systems engineering.