Magic Grid Bo K

Aiste Aleksandraviciene
Aurelijus Morkevicius, Ph.D.
MagicGrid®
Book of Knowledge
A Practical Guide to Systems Modeling
using MagicGrid from No Magic
Kaunas, 2018
Copyright© 2018 by No Magic, Inc.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission
of No Magic, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
MagicGrid Book of Knowledge | 3
Inhalt
Foreword by Enrique Krajmalnik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Foreword by Aurelijus Morkevicius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Reviewers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
PROBLEM DOMAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Black-box perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
B1-W1. Stakeholder Needs: initial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Step 1. Organizing the model for B1-W1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Step 2. Creating a table for stakeholder needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Step 3. Capturing stakeholder needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Capturing information directly in the model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Copying information from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Importing information from a ReqIF file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Synchronizing information from IBM Rational DOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Step 4. Grouping stakeholder needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Step 5. Numbering stakeholder needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Step 6. Categorizing stakeholder needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
B3. System Context: initial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Step 1. Organizing the model for B3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Step 2. Capturing system contexts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Step 3. Creating an ibd for a system context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Step 4. Capturing participants of the system context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
B2. Use Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Step 2. Creating a diagram for use cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Step 3. Capturing use cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Step 4. Creating a diagram for specifying the use case scenario. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Step 5. Specifying the use case scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Step 6. Allocating actions to participants of the system context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
B3. System Context: final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Step 1. Specifying interactions between the participants of system context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Step 2. Assigning items flowing between the participants of system context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
4 | MagicGrid Book of Knowledge
B4. Measurements of Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Step 2. Creating a block for capturing MoEs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Step 3. Capturing MoEs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
White-box perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
W2. Functional Analysis: initial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Step 1. Organizing the model for W2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Step 2. Creating an activity diagram to decompose a function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Step 3. Specifying the white-box scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
W3. Logical Subsystems Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Step 1. Organizing the model for W3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Step 2. Creating a bdd for capturing SoI interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Step 3. Capturing SoI interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Step 4. Creating an ibd for capturing logical subsystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Step 5. Capturing logical subsystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Step 6. Specifying interactions in the context of the SoI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
W2. Functional Analysis: final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Step 1. Grouping functions by logical subsystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
W4. MoEs for Subsystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
B1-W1. Stakeholder Needs: final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Step 1. Creating a matrix for capturing refine relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Step 2. Capturing refine relationships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
SOLUTION DOMAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Deploying solution domain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
S1. System Requirements: initial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Step 1. Creating and organizing a model for S1 initial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Step 2. Creating a diagram for system requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Step 3. Specifying system requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Step 4. Establishing traceability to stakeholder needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Step 5. Establishing traceability to the rest of the problem domain model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
S3. System Structure: initial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Step 1. Organizing the model for S3 initial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Step 2. Creating a bdd for capturing HLSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Step 3. Capturing subsystems at HLSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Step 4. Establishing traceability to W3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Step 5. Capturing interfaces at HLSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
SS3. Subsystem Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Step 1. Creating and organizing a model for SS3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Step 2. Getting ready for modeling the structure of the Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Step 3. Capturing components of the Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Step 4. Creating an ibd for specifying interactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Step 5. Specifying interactions between the Cooling System and the outside. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Step 6. Specifying interactions within the Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
S2/SS2. System/Subsystem Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

Step 1. Organizing the model for SS2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Step 2. Creating a diagram for capturing Cooling System states . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Step 3. Capturing states of the Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Step 4. Specifying event occurrences on transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Step 5. Organizing signals into package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Step 6. Specifying the entry, do, or exit behavior of the state . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
S3. System Structure: final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

Step 1. Creating and organizing a model for S3 final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Step 2. Capturing the integrated structure of the system configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Step 3. Verifying interface compatibility between subsystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
S4. System Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137

Step 1. Organizing the model for S4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
Step 2. Specifying a system parameter to capture the total mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
Step 3. Capturing a formula for calculating the total mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Step 4. Specifying subsystem parameters to capture total masses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Step 5. Binding constraint parameters to system/subsystem parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
Step 6. Getting ready for the automated requirements verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
Step 7. Adding more complexity to the calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
S1. System Requirements: final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151

Step 1. Organizing the model for S1 final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152
Step 2. Creating a matrix for capturing satisfy relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
Step 3. Capturing satisfy relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
IMPLEMENTATION DOMAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
I1 Physical Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Future works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
Foreword by Enrique Krajmalnik

The last three years have seen significant change in the way products are designed. With the advent of smart products
and delivery systems, the need for agile product development has never been greater. Companies are now looking at
how they design and build as an integral part of the product life-cycle. Tooling is no longer an afterthought, and systems
engineering is no longer a minor practice dominated by documents and spreadsheets with little to no traceability or
change control. The transition to integrated tooling with a common, standard notation for system models is well under-
way, bringing a new level of rigor to systems engineering. Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is at the core of the
new paradigm.
The MagicGrid Book of Knowledge (BoK) focuses on how practitioners implement MBSE. MagicGrid has been developed
to provide a framework that can be easily adopted, implemented, and modified to grow with your modeling and systems
engineering practice. This book teaches you how to use No Magic software to design and optimize the systems and prod-
ucts of today and tomorrow. It is the culmination of many years of research, and I am proud to put the No Magic name
behind this effort.
Thank you to the No Magicians who made this happen, especially our solutions team who have engaged with customers
over thousands of hours to learn, digest, develop, and teach this framework. I would also like to thank our partners and
customers who contributed to peer review of this work prior to its release.
— Enrique Krajmalnik,
CTO, No Magic, Inc .
Foreword by Aurelijus Morkevicius

The MagicGrid BoK is a unique, model-based systems engineering experience. This book describes one of a million possi-
ble straightforward ways to develop a system model from A to Z. It is an answer to all the questions you may have, starting
from “why” and ending with “how”, which few of today’s available sources of information can answer.
When I started MBSE training and consulting 10 years ago, the first thing that came to my mind was that there was a lack
of an unambiguous approach to developing system models using SysML. Every customer was developing models differ-
ently. Moreover, every consultant used different approaches to train customers in this discipline. It should come as no
surprise that SysML was (and still is) criticized for being method-agnostic. There was no other way forward than to initiate
internal discussions within No Magic, and to start collecting and summarizing our experience in the form of a framework
for architecting systems using a sort of “vanilla” SysML. The framework comes first, then adjusting to the language sec-
ond. I am certain that this is the only approach that is 100 percent aligned with SysML. Extensions and customizations are
possible; however, they are not necessary.
While collecting our knowledge, I did some scientific studies with a local university to prove my ideas were correct. To-
gether with my team at No Magic, I wrote a couple of papers and delivered multiple presentations and tutorials at various
events worldwide, e.g., the INCOSE International Symposium, INCOSE local chapter events, and the No Magic World Sym-
posium, to name just a few. Publicity, and a lot of positive feedback, gave me the trust and self-confidence to continue
working on MagicGrid.
After working with multiple customers from various industries, I do agree that there is no single unified approach to this
issue, and there cannot be one. Every industry and every customer has their own specifics, and we have taken this into
account. MagicGrid has evolved as a foundation and collection of best practices that can be modified or extended to
support specific customer needs. Know-how captured in this approach is highly influenced by the INCOSE handbook,
ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288, the Unified Architecture Framework (previously known as UPDM) and development efforts. Com-
panies which influenced our efforts included Bombardier Transportation, Kongsberg Defense and Airspace, Ford Motor
Company, John Deere, BAE Systems, and many others which I personally, along with fellow No Magic team members and
colleagues, have been working with in recent years.
I’m proud that besides the MagicGrid framework, we have managed to put together a detailed step-bystep tutorial and
publish it both as a book and an e-book. Please note that this book can only get better with your help. Please do not hes-
itate to contact us and provide your feedback to make the second edition of the book even better.
My hope is that this book will be a lighthouse for all MBSE practitioners sailing in the dark, and a light breeze for those
sailing in the sunlight.
— Aurelijus Morkevicius, Ph .D .
Author of the Idea
Head of Solutions, No Magic, Inc .
Contributors
Andrius Armonas, Ph.D. [email protected]
Barry Papke, [email protected]
Donatas Mazeika, [email protected]
Nerijus Jankevicius, [email protected]
Rokas Bartkevicius, [email protected]
Saulius Pavalkis, Ph.D. [email protected]
Zilvinas Strolia, [email protected]
Reviewers
Antonio Tulelli
Arnaud Durantin
Atif Mahboob
Bernhard Meyer
Bryan K. Pflug
Carmelo Tommasi
Christian Konrad
Darius Silingas
David D. Walden
Gauthier Fanmuy
Himanshu Upadhyay
Holger Gamradt
James Towers
Jonathan Jansen
Macaulay Osaisai
Oliver Nagel
Olivier Casse
Paolo Neri
Pierfelice Ciancia
Raymond Kempkens
Sagar Nirgudkar
Sven Degenkolbe
Thomas Eickhoff
Timo Wekerle
Toshihiro Obata
Ulf Koenemann
Preface
Why this book?
Any theory needs practice. An approach becomes useful when it is provided in company with comprehensive instructions
on how to use it in practice. The MagicGrid approach for MBSE by No Magic is no exception to this rule. This was the main
reason for writing the book.
So this book is for you, if you’re new at MBSE or seek to learn a new MBSE approach. This book is for you, if you wish to learn
how to use No Magic software for MBSE in combination with SysML and the new MBSE approach. This book is for you, if you
go for comprehensive instructions, illustrated by the case study of modeling an easy-to-understand real-world system.
The book is easier to read if you are familiar with UML/SysML and basic concepts of No Magic software for MBSE; that is,
Cameo Systems Modeler or MagicDraw with the SysML plugin installed on the top, generally referred to as the modeling tool.
Why MagicGrid?
The idea of developing a new method for MBSE emerged while working with organizations from various industry sectors,
such as defense, automotive, aerospace, and healthcare, to name a few. They needed an unambiguous approach for de-
veloping system models using SysML, the de facto language for MBSE, as defined by the International Council on Systems
Engineering (INCOSE). However, quite a few methods for MBSE were available in the market at that time, and the existing
ones were too abstract for solving a real-world problem. The practice also revealed that every industry and every customer
has their own specifics, and cannot use the standard method without applying any modifications or extensions to it.
The MagicGrid approach has evolved by summarizing the experience of numerous MBSE adoption projects, as a foundation
and collection of best practices that can be modified or extended to support specific customer needs.
The approach is completely applicable in practice for the following reasons:
• It is fully compatible with “vanilla” SysML. No extensions for SysML are required.
• It clearly defines the modeling process, which is based on the best practices of the systems engineering process.
• It is tool-independent, as long as that tool supports SysML.
MagicGrid 101
As the title reveals, the MagicGrid approach is based on the framework, which can be represented as a
Zachman style matrix (see the following table), and is designed to guide the engineers through the modeling process and
answer their questions, like “how to organize the model?”, “what is the modeling workflow?”, “what model artifacts should
be produced in each step of that workflow?”, “how these artifacts are linked together?”, and so on.
As you can see, the approach includes the definition of the problem, solution, and implementation domains in the system
model. They align with the processes defined by ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 as follows: problem domain with the Stakeholder Needs
Development process, solution domain with the Architecture Definition process, and implementation domain with the De-
sign Definition process. Each domain is represented as a separate row of the MagicGrid framework. The row that represents
the problem domain splits into two, to convey that the problem domain should be defined by looking at the system of in-
terest (SoI) from the black-box and then from the white-box perspective. The row that represents the solution domain splits
into numerous inner rows to convey that the solution architecture of the system can be specified in multiple levels of detail.
The row that represents the implementation domain doesn’t split and is not fully highlighted like the upper rows, to convey
that everything except the requirements specification in this domain is not a part of MBSE and therefore appears outside the
scope of the MagicGrid approach.
Each domain definition includes four different aspects of the system to be considered and captured in the model. These
aspects match the four pillars of the SysML, that is, requirements, behavior, structure, and parameters (also known as para-
metrics). They are represented as columns of the matrix.
PILLAR
Requirements Behavior Structure Parameters
B1-W1 B2 Use B3 System Context B4
Black
Stakeholder Cases Measurements of
Box
Needs Effectiveness
Problem
W2 Functional W3 Logical W4 MoEs for Specialty
White
Analysis Subsystems Subsystems Engineering
Box
Communication
S1 System S2 System S3 System S4 System
DOMAIN Requirements Behavior Structure Parameters Integrated
Testing
SS1 Subsystem SS2 Subsystem SS3 Subsystem SS4 Subsystem
Solution Requirements Behavior Structure Parameters
... ... ... ... Analysis
C1 Component C2 Component C3 Component C4 Component
I1 Physical Software, Electrical, Mechanical
Implementation
Requirements
A cell at the intersection of some row and column represents a view of the system model, which can consist of one or more
presentation artifacts. The presentation artifact can be a diagram, matrix, map, or table.
Though it is not conveyed in the framework, more than one solution architecture can be provided for a single problem. In
such case, a trade-off analysis is performed to choose an optimal solution for implementation. Please note that the trade-off
analysis, together with specialty engineering and integrated testing, is not covered in this book. However, these are possible
extensions of the MagicGrid approach, to be included into future editions of this book.
Case study
In this book, the modeling approach applies to the specification and design of the Vehicle Climate Control System (VCCS).
Technical accuracy and the feasibility of the actual solution proposed are not high priorities.
How to read this book

While reading the book, it’s important to understand that it doesn’t replace the modeling tool documentation. It is intended
to supplement it.
The structure of the book corresponds the layout of the MagicGrid framework. It is divided into three main chapters, each
describing the modeling workflow within a single domain. These are the Problem domain (including the Black-box perspec-
tive and White-box perspective sub-chapters), the Solution domain, and the Implementation domain. You should read them
in succession.
Each chapter consists of multiple sections. Sections are named after the cells from relevant domain. The order of these
sections defines the modeling workflow in that domain. Some sections are named with suffixes, such as “initial” and “final”,
which means that the modeling in the relevant cell is divided into two phases, and the presentation artifacts of that cell are
delivered in the final phase; for example, B3. System Context: initial and B3. System Context: final with B2. Use Cases in-be-
tween. Every section includes a brief overview of the cell by explaining the purpose of modeling in this cell, who is responsi-
ble for the modeling, how to model, and what the subsequent cells are.
Every section (except for a few) consists of multiple sub-sections, which provide comprehensive instructions of how to mod-
el in the related cell. Therefore, they all have prefixes with the pattern “Step X”, where “X” stands for the step sequence num-
ber. A sub-section provides answers to the questions, like “what to do?”, “why to do it?”, and “how to do it?”. Follow these
instructions from the very beginning until the end of the book to create a sample model of the VCCS by yourself.
Some sub-sections contain information boxes marked with the i symbol. These boxes are designated to provide you with
additional information, tips and tricks for smarter modeling, or references to more detailed information sources.
All of the keywords and acronyms are defined in the Glossary.

How to provide feedback

We appreciate any feedback from our readers for the next version of this book. Send us an email at [email protected].
Problem domain
Introduction
The purpose of the problem domain definition is to analyze stakeholder needs and refine them with SysML model ele-
ments to get a clear and coherent description of what problems the SoI must solve. As you can see in the following table,
the problem domain analysis is performed in two phases. At the first phase, the SoI is considered a black box and the
main focus is on how it interacts with the environment without getting any knowledge about its internal structure and
behavior. In other words, the operational analysis of the SoI is performed. At the second phase, the black box is opened
and the SoI is analyzed from the white-box perspective, which helps to understand in detail how the system shall operate.
In other words, the functional analysis of the SoI is performed. It is also important to note that the problem definition
doesn’t cover the physical architecture of the SoI.
As you can see in the following table, both phases of the problem domain definition consist of analyzing the require-
ments, behavior, structure, and parameters of the SoI. The only difference is in perspective.
Modeling in the problem domain is described step by step in related pages.
PILLAR
Black
Box
Needs Effectiveness
Problem
White
Box
Communication
Testing
... ... ... ... Analysis
Implementation
Requirements
Black-box perspective
Introduction
Problem domain analysis and definition from the black-box perspective comprise the first step towards identifying and
specifying the problem the system should solve. In this phase of problem domain definition, the SoI is considered a black
box, which means that only inputs and outputs of the system are analyzed, without getting any knowledge about its in-
ternal structure and behavior. Interactions between the SoI, other systems, and supposed users of the SoI in a variety of
system contexts are analyzed instead.
Modeling the problem domain from the black-box perspective is explained step by step in related pages.
PILLAR
Black
Box
Needs Effectiveness
Problem
White
Box
Communication
Testing
... ... ... ... Analysis
Implementation
Requirements
B1-W1. Stakeholder Needs: initial

What is it?
The cell represents information gathered from various stakeholders of the system. This information includes primary user
needs, system-related government regulations, policies, procedures, and internal guidelines, to name a few.
In the initial phase of this cell, stakeholder needs are captured. This can be done by interviewing the stakeholders, giving
them questionnaires, discussing needs in focus groups, or studying documents written in diverse formats. Though elic-
ited information is raw, it does not need to be specially rewritten. However, it needs to be analyzed and refined in other
cells of the problem domain model. These refinements afterwards serve as a basis for specifying system requirements
(see S1.initial). Thus, it can be stated that system requirements are derived from stakeholder needs.
In order to have a complete problem domain model, you need to perform the tasks determined by the final phase of this
cell. That is, you need to establish traceability relationships between stakeholder needs and the rest of the problem do-
main model to convey how behavioral and structural elements of the SoI refine stakeholder needs.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, elicitation and analysis of stakeholder needs are performed by
the Requirements Team.
How to model?
Stakeholder needs can be captured directly in the modeling tool, or alternatively, they can be imported from other tools
and formats, such as:
• Requirements management tools (for example, IBM® Rational® DOORS®)

• Spreadsheets (for example, Microsoft Excel file)
• ReqIF file (which contains data exported from another tool, that is, IBM® Rational® DOORS®, PTC Integrity Modeler,
Polarion® REQUIREMENTS™, or Siemens Teamcenter)
In the modeling tool, a single stakeholder need can be captured as a SysML requirement, which has a unique identifica-
tion, name, and textual specification. The entire list of stakeholder needs can be displayed in a SysML requirement table
(see the following figure) or diagram. Stakeholder needs can be hierarchically related to each other (grouped) by the
containment relationships.
What’s next?
• Stakeholder needs are used to define system contexts in B3.initial.
• Functional stakeholder needs are further analyzed and refined by use cases and use case scenarios in B2.
• Non-functional stakeholder needs are refined by measurements of effectiveness (value properties) in B4.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Organizing the model for B1-W1
A well-organized model is easier to read, understand, and maintain. That’s why we recommend organizing your model
into packages. Packages in a SysML model are very similar to folders in a file system Graphical User Interface (GUI): while
folders are used to organize files, packages are used to organize diagrams and elements (including other packages).
According to the design of the MagicGrid framework, model artifacts that capture stakeholder needs should be stored
under the structure of packages displayed in the following figure. As you can see, the top-level package represents the
domain, the medium-level package represents the perspective, and the bottom-level package represents the cell.
i You can skip this step (as well as other steps of establishing the model structure), if you use the MagicGrid Quick-
Start or MagicGrid Blank template. They both come with the 19.0 version of the modeling tool, and include a
predefined structure based on the MagicGrid framework.
i Using numbers in package names enables you to preserve the package location in the model tree.
To organize the model for B1-W1
1. Right-click the Model package (this is the default name of the root package) and select Create Element.
2. In the search box, type pa, the first two letters of the element type Package, and press Enter.
3. Type 1 Problem Domain to specify the name of the new package and press Enter.
4. Right-click the 1 Problem Domain package and select Create Element.
5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to create the package named 1 Black Box.
6. Right-click the 1 Black Box package and select Create Element.
7. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to create the package named 1 Stakeholder Needs.
Step 2 . Creating a table for stakeholder needs

For capturing and displaying stakeholder needs, we recommend utilizing the SysML requirement table.
To create the SysML requirement table for capturing stakeholder needs
1. Right-click the 1 Stakeholder Needs package and select Create Diagram.
2. In the search box, type rt, where r stands for requirement and t for table, and then double-press Enter. The table is
created.
iNote that the table is named after the package where is it stored. This name suits for the table, too. You need
only remove the sequence number from its name.
3. Select the 1 Stakeholder Needs package and drag it to the Scope box in the Criteria area of the table. From now on,
the table is updated every time you append the contents of the package 1 Stakeholder Needs .
Step 3 . Capturing stakeholder needs

Let’s say you need to capture the following stakeholder needs into your model:
# Name Text
1 Setting Temperature It must be possible to set and maintain desired temperature in the cabin.
2 Heat and Cool Modes Unit shall be able to heat and cool.
3 Noise Level Climate control unit in max mode shall not be louder than the engine.
4 Climate Control Mass Mass of the unit shall not exceed 2 percent of the total car mass.
A single stakeholder need can be stored as a SysML requirement, which has an unique identification, name, and text
specification.
You can get the stakeholder needs into your model by one of the following means:
• Capturing information directly in the model

• Copying information from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet

• Importing information from a ReqIF file
• Synchronizing information from IBM Rational DOORS
Capturing information directly in the model

To capture stakeholder needs directly in the model
1. Open the table created in step 2 of the B1-W1 initial phase tutorial, if not yet opened.
2. On the toolbar of the table, click Add New and select Requirement.
3. In the newly created row, type the name and text of the first stakeholder need displayed in the table within step 3 of
the B1-W1 initial phase tutorial.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have all the items in the table as displayed in the following figure
i Items created in the SysML requirements table appear in the Model Browser, too.
Copying information from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet

If you’re provided with the list of stakeholder needs in a Microsoft (MS) Excel spreadsheet, you can easily transfer this
information to the SysML model by utilizing the copy-paste capability of the modeling tool.
To copy stakeholder needs from the MS Excel spreadsheet
1. Open the spreadsheet and select the contents you want to copy to your model.
2. Copy the contents:
• Press Ctrl+C on Windows or Linux.

• Press Command+C on macOS.
3. Switch to the modeling tool and open the SysML requirement table created in step 2 of the B1-W1 initial phase tuto-
rial, if not yet opened.
4. Paste the contents to the table:
• Press Ctrl+V on Windows or Linux.

• Press Command+V on macOS.
5. Select Requirement as the type for the pasted data.
6. Wait while stakeholder needs are pasted into the table.
i Items copied to the SysML requirements table appear in the Model Browser, too.
Importing information from a ReqIF file

It may happen that stakeholder needs are gathered by using one of these tools:
• IBM® Rational® DOORS®

• PTC Integrity Modeler
• Polarion® REQUIREMENTS™
• Siemens Teamcenter
• Dassault Systèmes Reqtify
In such case, information between a requirements management tool and the modeling tool can be transferred via Re-
quirements Interchange Format (ReqIF) file. Thus, getting stakeholder needs into your model includes:
1. Exporting requirements from the requirements management tool to a ReqIF file.
2. Importing the ReqIF file to the SysML model in the modeling tool.
We skip the first step, assuming that you’ve already been provided with the ReqIF file.
To import stakeholder needs from the ReqIF file
1. From the main menu, select File > Import From > Requirements Interchange Format (ReqIF) File.
2. Select the ReqIF file form your file system and click Open.
3. In the Select Package for New Data dialog, select the package wherein you want to store the imported stakeholder
needs; that is, the package 1 Stakeholder Needs.
4. Click OK.
5. Wait while stakeholder needs are imported into the 1 Stakeholder Needs package. Since that package is the scope of
the SysML requirement table (see step 2 of the B1-W1 initial phase tutorial), all imported items appear in the table
too.
Synchronizing information from IBM Rational DOORS

If stakeholder needs are gathered in an IBM® Rational® DOORS® project (see the following figure), you can get them into
the SysML model by synchronizing data between DOORS and the modeling tool.
i The modeling tool can be synchronized with DOORS only if it has the Cameo DataHub Plugin installed.
In this tutorial, we assume that the Requirements Team uses DOORS only for capturing stakeholder needs, and further
analysis is performed in the SysML model. For this reason, we need to establish oneway synchronization between DOORS
and the modeling tool. In one-way synchronization, items are copied from DOORS to the modeling tool, but no items are
ever copied back from the modeling tool to DOORS.
To synchronize stakeholder needs from DOORS NG 6.x to the modeling tool
1. Be sure you have Cameo DataHub Plugin 18.1 or later installed on top of the modeling tool.
2. Connect to the DOORS NG 6.x repository:
a. From the main menu of the modeling tool, select Tool > DataHub > DataHub Explorer. The Cameo DataHub
Explorer panel opens on the right of the modeling tool window.
b. On the toolbar of the open panel, click the Add Data Source button.
c. Provide the required information and click Create, as shown in the following figure.
d. Wait while the modeling tool connects to the DOORS NG 6.x repository. After the operation is completed, the tree
of the Cameo DataHub Explorer panel displays projects from the DOORS repository (as packages). One of the
projects is CCU Stakeholder Needs.
3. Synchronize data:
a. On the toolbar of the Cameo DataHub Explorer panel, click the Operation drop-down list box and select Copy
Data with Sync.
b. In the Cameo DataHub Explorer tree, select the CCU Stakeholder Needs package and drag it onto the 1 Black Box
package in the Model Browser (on the left of the modeling tool window).
i In this case, you should ignore the inner package 1 Stakeholder Needs created in step 1 of the B1-W1 initial
phase tutorial. If you decide to ignore this recommendation and drag the items of stakeholder needs to
the package 1 Stakeholder Needs one by one (ignoring the package CCU Stakeholder Needs), keep in mind
that you are taking the risk of missing the items that will be created in the DOORS project afterwards. In
such case, only individual items are synchronized, not the whole project.
c. Wait for the message announcing that synchronization is completed. Synchronized items in both trees become
marked with S (see the following figure).
4. Make the synchronization single directional:
a. In the Model Browser of the modeling tool, right-click the CCU Stakeholder Needs package and select DataHub
Actions > DHLink Panel. The DHLinks panel opens at the bottom of the modeling tool window.
b. Right-click the Direction cell and select Change Direction > Sync to MagicDraw. The synchronization is changed
to single directional, and source items become marked with 1.
Step 4 . Grouping stakeholder needs

After you have stakeholder needs in your model, you can arrange them into groups according to their nature. These
groups can be system-related government regulations, user needs, or business requirements, to name a few. It is quite
common that stakeholder needs of different natures are even moved into the model from different sources. For example,
user needs can be synchronized from a requirements management tool, and regulations can be copied from the MS Excel
spreadsheet.
Now let’s analyze the stakeholder needs of the vehicle Climate Control Unit in your model. Actually, they are user needs,
and thus can be grouped under the element User Needs of the SysML requirement type. We recommend using a regular
SysML requirement as a grouping element. The grouping element might not have any text itself.
To group stakeholder needs
1. Create a grouping requirement:
a. In the Model Browser, right-click the 1 Stakeholder Needs package and select Create Element.
b. In the search box, type re – the first letters of the requirement type, and press Enter. A new element of the require-
ment type is created.
c. Type User Needs to specify the name of the requirement and press Enter.
2. In the Model Browser, select all previously captured stakeholder needs and drag them onto the User Needs require-
ment. The stakeholder needs become nested under the grouping requirement User Needs.
To select the set of adjacent items in the tree, click the first one, press Shift, and while holding it down, select
i
the last one.
3. See appropriate changes in the SysML requirement table.
i Be sure the table is displayed in the Compact tree mode. For this, click the Options button on the table
toolbar and then select Display Mode > Compact Tree.
Step 5 . Numbering stakeholder needs

SysML requirements, which we use for capturing and storing stakeholder needs, are by default numbered using integers.
We recommend adding prefixes to these simple numbers in order to distinguish stakeholder needs from other require-
ments, such as system, component, and physical requirements, to be created later on. Let’s say we want to add a prefix
SN- to these numbers (S stands for stakeholder and N for needs).
We also need to reset numbering from 1, since the initial number has automatically changed to 5 after grouping.
To number stakeholder needs with the prefix SN-
1. In the Model Browser, right-click the grouping requirement User Needs and select Element Numbering. The Element
Numbering dialog opens.
2. In the dialog, click the empty value cell of the Prefix column to initiate the editing, type SN- and press Enter. Every
item of stakeholder needs in the model tree within the dialog becomes numbered with the prefix SN-.
3. Click Details to see more options.
4. Click to select the Renumber from Initial Value check box.
5. Click the Renumber Recursively button.
6. Click OK to close the dialog.
Step 6 . Categorizing stakeholder needs

Stakeholder needs can be either functional or non-functional. Functional stakeholder needs specify what the SoI is ex-
pected to do. They are further refined by use cases and use case scenarios in the B2 cell of the MagicGrid framework.
Non-functional stakeholder needs specify non-functional characteristics of the SoI. They are refined by measurements of
effectiveness (value properties) in the B4 cell of the framework.
Categorization facilitates further analysis of stakeholder needs, especially when you have to deal with large a scope of
information. This step may be skipped, if the case doesn’t require it.
Requirements that capture functional stakeholder needs should be converted to functional. Non-functional stakeholder
needs can remain simple requirements. It is obvious that both Setting Temperature and Heat and Cool Modes are func-
tional stakeholder needs.
To convert the Setting Temperature and Heat and Cool Modes requirements to functional
1. Right-click both requirements in the Model Browser.

2. Select Refactor > Convert To > More Specific > Functional Requirement. Both requirements are converted to func-
tional, and F instead of R is displayed on each element icon.
B3. System Context: initial

What is it?
System context or operating environment determines an external view of the system. It must introduce elements that
do not belong to the system but do interact with that system. More than one system context can be defined for a single
SoI. Besides the system itself (currently considered to be a black box), the collection of elements in the particular system
context can include external systems and users (humans, organizations) that interact with the SoI in that context.
Modeling in this cell includes two phases: initial and final. During the initial phase of B3, one or more system contexts are
defined, and elements that participate in each context are identified. In the final phase of B3, interactions within each
system context are specified. Since this requires analyzing system behavior, you should identify use cases of that system
context and model use case scenarios first. That’s why the B3 cell is interrupted by the B2 cell.
The initial phase of the B3 cell produces:
• Definitions of system contexts

• Participants of each system context: SoI, supposed users of t he system, other systems, etc.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, the system contexts are specified by the Requirements Team.
How to model?
In the modeling tool, system contexts can be captured as elements of the SysML block type. Participants of the system
context can be specified as part properties of that system context and represented in the SysML internal block diagram
(ibd) created for that system context. Each part is typed by the block, which defines the SoI, the user, or another system
in the model.
i We recommend using blocks rather than actors to define humans (for example, users of the SoI) for the following
reasons:
• A block is treated as a part of the system context. An actor is not.
• A block can be marked as external. An actor cannot.
• A block can have its behavior defined. An actor cannot.
What’s next?
• System contexts are used to analyze behavior of the system in B2. Various use cases of the system are grouped into
system contexts, each to the one wherein it is performed.
• Participants of each system context captured as part properties of that system context are also used in B2. They can
be represented as swimlane partitions in the SysML activity diagram that describes a use case scenario.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Organizing the model for B3
Following the structure of the MagicGrid framework, system contexts and owned-by-them SysML internal block dia-
grams, together with elements they represent, should be stored in a separate package inside the 1 Black Box package. We
recommend naming the package after the cell, that is, 3 System Context.
To organize the model for B3
3. Type 3 System Context to specify the name of the new package and press Enter.
Step 2 . Capturing system contexts

System contexts can be identified by analyzing stakeholder needs captured in B1-W1.initial. Stakeholder needs of the
Vehicle Climate Control Unit enable you to identify a single context, the Vehicle In Use. It can be captured in your model as
an element of the SysML block type.
To create a block that captures the Vehicle In Use system context
1. Right-click the 3 System Context package created in step 1 of the B3 initial phase tutorial and select Create Element.
2. In the search box, type bl, the initial letters of the required element type, and press Enter.
3. Type Vehicle In Use to specify the name of the new block and press Enter. The block is created and represented in the
Model Browser.
Step 3 . Creating an ibd for a system context

To start specifying participants of the Vehicle In Use system context, you first need to create a SysML internal block dia-
gram for the block that captures that system context.
To create an ibd for the Vehicle In Use block
1. Right-click the Vehicle In Use block and select Create Diagram.

2. In the search box, type ibd, the acronym of the SysML internal block diagram, and then doublepress Enter. The dia-
gram is created and represented in the Model Browser under the Vehicle In Use block.
i The diagram is named after the block that owns it. As this name perfectly suits the diagram too, there is no
need to change it.
Step 4 . Capturing participants of the system context

Participants of the system context can be captured as part properties, and each part property should be typed by the
block that defines the concept of SoI, supposed users of the system (humans, organizations), or some external system in
the model.
i Here you should remember the SysML Specification, which tells you that blocks should be used for defining
concepts, and parts are used for specifying the usage of these concepts. Any concept, once defined in your model,
can be used in many system contexts. For example, the Vehicle Climate Control Unit SoI defined as a block can type
parts in various system contexts, meaning that it participates within all these contexts.
Stakeholder needs indicate that the Vehicle In Use system context includes two participants: the Vehicle Climate Control
Unit and the vehicle occupant (driver or passenger). In addition, the system context must include an external system for
supplying the SoI with energy (even though it is not mentioned in stakeholder needs).
To capture participants of the Vehicle In Use system context
1. Open the ibd created in step 3 of the B3 initial phase tutorial, if not yet opened.
2. Make sure the Type Selection Mode is on in the diagram. Otherwise, parts created in this diagram will not be typed
by blocks.
i In this mode, when you create a part property, the tool offers you a list of blocks, from which you can choose
the part property type. If the necessary block doesn’t exist yet, you can simply create it by typing its name
directly on the part property shape.
3. Click the Part Property button on the diagram palette and then click an empty place on the diagram pane. An un-
named part property is created, and the list of existing blocks to type it is offered.
4. Type Climate Control Unit next to the colon (“:”) directly on the part property shape and press Enter. The Climate
Control Unit block to type the just-created part property is created in the Model Browser.
i When the Type Selection Mode is enabled, typing on the part property shape always defines the name of the
new block, which types that part property, but not the name of the part property. If you want to specify the
name as well, type it before the colon (“:”) on the shape. However, na mes are not necessary, since part prop-
erties created in this diagram can be easily identified by their types.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to create two more part properties: one typed by the Vehicle Occupant block and another typed
by the Energy Supply block.
i Since you need to create more than one part property in succession, use the functionality of the Sticky button
(see the following figure) so that you don’t need to click the Part Property button on the palette each time
you want to create a new part property. When the Sticky mode is enabled, you can create as many elements
of the selected type as you need. Press Esc when you’re done.
When you’re done, you have three part properties and exactly the same number of blocks that type them in your model.
B2. Use Cases

What is it?
In this cell, functional stakeholder needs are refined with use cases and use case scenarios. In comparison to stakeholder
needs, use cases are more precise in telling what people expect from the system and what they want to achieve by using
it. All the use cases are grouped into system contexts defined in B3. System Context.initial.
Overall, this cell produces:
• Functional use cases that provide measurable value to the user.

• Use case scenarios on how the system interacts with the user and/or other systems.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, use cases are specified by the Requirements Team.
How to model?
In the modeling tool, use cases of the system can be captured by utilizing the infrastructure of the SysML use case diagram.
Every use case diagram should be created considering one of the system contexts defined in B3. System Context.initial.
Use cases can be captured as elements of the use case type. A single use case can be performed in different contexts.
Entities that perform one or more use cases within the system context should be represented as blocks in the use case
diagram. Created in the initial phase of B3, these blocks type part properties of the system context. As you can see in the
following figure, even humans, such as the vehicle occupant, should be represented as blocks.
i We recommend using blocks instead of actors to define humans for the following reasons:
• A block is treated as a part of the system context. An actor is not.
• A block can be marked as external. An actor cannot.
• A block can have its behavior defined. An actor cannot.
Each use case must have a name and primary scenario. Alternative scenarios are optional. A use case scenario can be
captured in a form of SysML activity or sequence diagram. In the activity diagram, SoI, supposed users of the system, and/
or other systems can be represented as swimlane partitions. In the sequence diagram, they are represented as lifelines.
The SoI is meanwhile considered a black box.
What’s next?
• Now that you have use case scenarios, you can switch to B3.final. Use case scenarios serve as input for specifying
interactions between the SoI and its environment in a variety of system contexts.
• Primary use case scenarios, describing interactions between the system and some external entities within its envi-
ronment, are decomposed to specify the internal action/sequence flows among the subsystems in W2.initial.
Tutorial
Following the structure of the MagicGrid framework, use cases and their scenarios in the form of SysML activity or se-
quence diagrams, together with elements they represent, should be stored in a separate package inside the 1 Black Box
package. We recommend naming the package after the cell, that is, 2 Use Cases.
3. Type 2 Use Cases to specify the name of the new package and press Enter.
Step 2 . Creating a diagram for use cases

To start capturing use cases of the Vehicle In Use system context (defined in step 2 of the B3 initial phase tutorial), you
need to create a SysML use case diagram first. You also need to display the shape of the block that captures the system
context on the diagram pane. The Vehicle Occupant block, which represents the user of the SoI, should also be displayed
on the diagram pane.
To create a diagram for capturing use cases performed in the Vehicle In Use system context
1. Right-click the 2 Use Cases package and select Create Diagram.
2. In the search box, type uc, where u stands for use and c for case, and then press Enter. The diagram is created.
i If you have more than one system context, we recommend storing use cases of each system context in a sepa-
rate package. In this case, there is no such need.
3. Type Use Cases of Vehicle In Use SC to specify the name of the new diagram and press Enter again.
4. In the Model Browser, select the Vehicle In Use block and drag it to the newly created use case diagram pane. The
shape of the Vehicle In Use block appears on the diagram.
5. In the Model Browser, select the Vehicle Occupant block and drag it to that diagram pane as well. The shape of the
Vehicle Occupant block appears on the diagram too.
Step 3 . Capturing use cases

By analyzing stakeholder needs, we can identify the Feel Comfortable Temperature use case performed in the Vehicle In
Use system context. Now let’s capture it in the Use Cases of Vehicle In Use SC diagram.
To capture the Feel Comfortable Temperature use case
1. Open the use case diagram created in step 2 of the B2 tutorial, if not yet opened.
2. Click the Use Case button on the diagram palette and move the mouse over the shape of the Vehicle In Use block.
3. When you see the blue border around the shape of the Vehicle In Use block, click it. An unnamed use case is created
within the shape of the block.
4. Type Feel Comfortable Temperature to specify the name of this use case and press Enter.
5. Double-click the use case to open its Specification and make sure that the Vehicle In Use block is set as its subject.
6. Select the Feel Comfortable Temperature use case, click the Association button on its smart manipulator toolbar,
and then select the Vehicle Occupant block, which represents the user of the system, to relate these two elements.
Step 4 . Creating a diagram for specifying the use case scenario

A use case scenario can be captured in a SysML activity or sequence diagram. We choose the former one.
To create a SysML activity diagram for specifying the Feel Comfortable Temperature use case scenario
1. In the Use Cases of Vehicle In Use SC diagram, right-click the shape of the Feel Comfortable Temperature use case and
select Create Diagram.
2. In the search box, type act, the acronym of the SysML activity diagram, and press Enter. The diagram is created and
opened. It is owned by the SysML activity with the same name.
i Now if you get back to the use case diagram, which displays the Feel Comfortable Temperature use case, you
can see that the shape of that use case is decorated with the rake ( ) icon. The decoration means that the
use case contains an internal diagram, which is the Feel Comfortable Temperature activity diagram. Dou-
ble-clicking the shape of the use case opens that internal diagram.
Step 5 . Specifying the use case scenario

Let’s say the Feel Comfortable Temperature use case scenario includes these steps:
1. Turn on Climate Control
2. Check System
3. Display Temperature
4. Start Climate Control
5. Set Temperature
6. Reach Required Temperature
7. Maintain Temperature
8. Turn off Climate Control
9. Stop Climate Control
To specify the basic use case scenario
1. Open the Feel Comfortable Temperature activity diagram (created in step 4 of the B2 tutorial), if not yet opened.
2. Be sure the Automatic Behavior Creation mode is enabled in the diagram (see the following figure). Otherwise, ac-
tions created in the diagram will not be typed by activities.
i Activities are necessary for functional decomposition performed in W2.
3. Click the Initial Node button on the diagram palette and then click an empty place on the diagram pane. The initial
node is created and displayed on the diagram.
4. Click the Control Flow button on the smart manipulator toolbar of the initial node and then click an empty place
on the diagram pane. A unnamed action typed a new activity is created.
5. Click the shape of the action and type Turn on Climate Control after the colon (“:”) to name the activity. Press Enter
after you’re done.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to capture other steps from the list above.
7. Select the shape of the last action and click the Control Flow button on its smart manipulator toolbar.
8. Right-click an empty place on the diagram pane and select Activity Final. The final node is created and displayed on
the diagram.
When you’re done, your Feel Comfortable Temperature diagram should look very similar to the one in the following figure.
Now let’s say you want to make the scenario more complex by adding an alternative flow of actions to specify what hap-
pens if the Climate Control Unit doesn’t work. For this, you need to insert a decision node between the Check System and
Display Temperature actions, as well as draw two more control flows with appropriate guards.
To update the use case scenario with an alternative flow
1. Click the Decision button on the diagram palette and then click the control flow between the Check System and Dis-
play Temperature actions.
2. Click either After Control Flow or Before Control Flow. The decision node is inserted.
3. Select the control flow between the decision node and the Display Temperature action, type [OK, and press Enter. The
[OK] guard is specified for this control flow.
4. Select the decision node, click the Control Flow button on its smart manipulator toolbar, then click Stop Climate
Control action. The control flow is created.
5. Select that control flow, type [Not OK, and press Enter. The [Not OK] guard is specified for this control flow.
After you’re done, your Feel Comfortable Temperature diagram should look very similar to the one in the following figure.
A few more items should be added to this diagram to make the use case scenario complete (see the following figure). It’s
not discussed here how to do this, but you can analyze the latest documentation of the modeling tool on how to insert
the fork node and pins.
Step 6 . Allocating actions to participants of the system context

After you have the entire scenario of the Feel Comfortable Temperature use case in your model, you can specify which
participant of the related system context is responsible for performing which action. There is a generic term for this: allo-
cating behavior to structure.
You can use swimlane partitions to represent participants of the system context. In this case, you need two of them, and
they are captured in the model as part properties of the Vehicle In Use system context: one part property is typed by the
Vehicle Occupant block, and the other by the Climate Control Unit block (see step 4 of the B3 initial phase tutorial).
Before establishing allocations, you need to make sure that the allocation to usage mode is enabled in your activity
diagram. This mode allows you to convey that allocations are established considering the system context. Otherwise,
allocations are generic, unrelated to any system context.
To allocate behavior to structure in the Vehicle In Use system context

1. Click the Vertical Swimlanes button on the use case diagram palette and then click an empty space on that diagram
pane. The Represent Properties dialog opens.
2. Since all the items are by default selected in the dialog, click to clear the part property typed by the Energy Supply
block (see the following figure). You don’t need to allocate any action in this diagram to this part property.
i The dialog always displays the list of part properties that belong to the subject of the use case, which enclos-
es the activity diagram. In this case, the part properties of the Vehicle In Use block (see step 4 of the B3 initial
phase tutorial) are displayed.
3. Click the OK button on the dialog. The swimlanes are displayed on the diagram.
i Swimlane partitions are always arranged alphabetically from A to Z. Thus, the Climate Control Unit partition
appears by default on the left side, and the Vehicle Occupant on the right. If you want the Vehicle Occupant
partition to be on the left (see the following figure), select the header of the Climate Control Unit partition and
click the Move Swimlane Right button . As a result, swimlane partitions become swapped.
4. Right-click any of the swimlane partitions and select Allocation Mode > Usage (if not selected yet). The allocation to
usage mode is enabled in the diagram.
i This mode allows you to convey that allocations are established considering the system context. Otherwise,
allocations are generic, not related to any system context.
5. Drag actions of the vehicle occupant to the Vehicle Occupant swimlane.

6. Drag actions of the climate control unit to the Climate Control Unit swimlane.
When you’re done, your activity diagram Feel Comfortable Temperature should look very similar to the one below.
B3. System Context: final

What is it?
System context or operating environment determines an external view of the system. It must introduce elements that
do not belong to the system but do interact with that system. More than one system context can be defined for a single
SoI. Besides the system itself (currently considered to be a black box), the collection of elements in the particular system
context can include external systems and users (humans, organizations) that interact with the SoI in that context.
Modeling in this cell includes two phases: initial and final. During the initial phase of B3, one or more system contexts are
defined, and elements that participate in each context are identified. In the final phase of B3, interactions within each
system context are specified. Since this requires analyzing system behavior, you should identify use cases of that system
context and model use case scenarios first. That’s why the B3 cell is interrupted by the B2 cell.
The final phase of the B3 cell produces:
• Relations between participants of every system context defined in the initial phase of B3
• Items that flow via these relations
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, the interactions within each system context are specified by the
Requirements Team.
How to model?
In the modeling tool, relations between the participants of the system context can be captured as connectors between
the part properties that represent these participants. Once the connector is created, it is necessary to specify one or more
items flowing from one end of the connector to another, because the connector alone says nothing about the nature of
the interaction. It can be a physical, informational, or control flow. Items can be stored in the model as signals, blocks, or
value types, depending on their nature.
As you can see in the following figure, system context diagrams can be supplemented with various images related to a SoI
so that the result could be presented to stakeholders, including even those who are incapable of reading models.
What’s next?
• After the block that captures the system of interest is created, quantitative characteristics of the system describing
non-functional stakeholder needs can be captured. Thus, you can switch to B4. Measurements of Effectiveness.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Specifying interactions between the participants of system context
Now it’s time to update the ibd of the Vehicle In Use system context (see step 4 of the B3 initial phase tutorial). For this, you
should analyze the scenario of the related use case, that is, Feel Comfortable Temperature. To be more precise, you should
consider the control and object flows that cross the boundary between swimlane partitions, which represent the part
properties of that system context. The use case scenario reveals how these part properties are related to one another: the
vehicle occupant controls the Climate Control Unit, and the unit provides him/her with information, such as status and
cabin temperature.
Let’s start by drawing a connector to represent the interaction.
To draw the connector between the part property typed by the Vehicle Occupant block and the one typed by the Climate
Control Unit block
1. Open the Vehicle In Use ibd:
a. Press Ctrl + Alt + F to open the Quick Find dialog.
b. Click Diagram to search for diagrams only and type Veh.
c. When you see the Vehicle In Use ibd selected in the search results list (see the following figure), press Enter. The
selected diagram opens.
2. Select the part property typed by the Vehicle Occupant block and click the Connector button on its smart mani-
pulator toolbar.
3. Select the part property typed by the Climate Control Unit block. The connection is created.
You can also create a connector between the part property typed by the Energy Supply block and the one typed by the
Climate Control Unit block. Once you’re done, your ibd should look very similar to the one below.
Step 2 . Assigning items flowing between the participants of system context

Now, let’s create items flowing from one end of the connector to another and backwards. We recommend storing ele-
ments that capture these items in a separate package within the 3 System Context package.
If we assume that you have created the 1 Exchange Items package on your own, we can move directly to creating items
that flow and assigning them to connectors. One or more item flows can be assigned on a single connector.
To capture item flows and assign them to the connector between part properties
1. Right-click the 1 Exchange Items package and select Create Element.
2. In the search box, type si, the first two letters of the element type Signal, and press Enter.
3. Type Control to specify the name of the new signal and press Enter.
4. Drag the signal to the connector between the part property typed by the Climate Control Unit block and the one typed
by the Vehicle Occupant block in the Vehicle In Use ibd.
5. In the open dialog, select From :Vehicle Occupant To :Climate Control Unit as direction of the flow and click OK.
The Control signal is assigned to the connector.
6. Repeat steps 1 to 3 to create the signal named Status.
7. Drag the signal to the same connector in the Vehicle On ibd.
8. In the open dialog, select From :Climate Control Unit To :Vehicle Occupant as direction of the flow and click OK.
The Status signal is assigned to the connector.
You can also assign an item flow between the part property typed by the Energy Supply block and the one typed by the
Climate Control Unit block. Items that flow can be electrical and mechanical power captured in the model as blocks. Once
you’re done, your ibd should look very similar to the one below.
i As you can see in the figure above, system context diagrams can be supplemented with various images related
to a SoI so that the result could be presented to stakeholders, including even those who are incapable of reading
models. For more information, see the latest documentation of the modeling tool.
B4. Measurements of Effectiveness

What is it?
In this cell, non-functional stakeholder needs are refined with measurements of effectiveness (MoEs), which capture char-
acteristics of the SoI in numerical format. MoEs is a traditional term widely used in systems engineering, describing how
well a system carries out a task within a specific context. In the problem domain model, they serve as the high level key
performance indicators that would be automatically checked within the solution domain model.
The same set of MoEs can be used in different models to specify numerical characteristics of other systems of interest.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, MoEs are specified by the Requirements Team.
How to model?
To capture MoEs in the modeling tool, a SysML block definition diagram (bdd) can be used. To define a reusable set of
MoEs, a separate block should be created and set as a super-type of the block that stands for the SoI. In real-world proj-
ects, blocks with reusable sets of MoEs are stored in external models, also known as libraries. MoEs are captured as value
properties with «moe» stereotypes applied. The block of the SoI inherits them from the super-type block. A mechanism of
redefinition in the modeling tool allows you to define different default values and refine different requirements by every
single MoE.
What’s next?
• Now that you have measurements of effectiveness, you can specify design constraints, which can be used to verify
whether the system design is right or not (see S4).
Tutorial
Following the structure of the MagicGrid framework, model elements that capture the measurements of effectiveness
should be stored in a separate package inside the 1 Black Box package. We recommend naming the package after the cell,
that is, 4 Measurements of Effectiveness .
3. Type 4 Measurements of Effectiveness to specify the name of the new package and press Enter.
Step 2 . Creating a block for capturing MoEs

To start capturing MoEs of the Vehicle Climate Control Unit, you first need to create a bdd and a block to set as a su-
per-type of the Climate Control Unit block. Remember that if it was a real-world project, the MoEs holder would be created
in some external model, also known as a library.
To create a diagram and a block for capturing MoEs
1. Right-click the 4 Measurements of Effectiveness package and select Create Diagram.
2. In the search box, type bdd, the acronym of the SysML block definition diagram, and then double-press Enter. The
diagram is created.
i Note that the diagram is named after the package where is it stored. This name perfectly suits the diagram,
too. You need only remove the sequence number from its name.
3. Click the Block button on the diagram palette and then click the empty space in that diagram pane. An unnamed
block is created.
4. Type MoEs Holder to specify the name of this block and press Enter.
5. In the Model Browser, select the Climate Control Unit block and drag it to the diagram pane. The shape of the Climate
Control Unit block appears on the diagram.
6. Click the Generalization button on the smart manipulator toolbar of the MoEs Holder block and then click the
shape of the Climate Control Unit block. The MoEs Holder block becomes the super-type of the Climate Control Unit
block.
Step 3 . Capturing MoEs

Now let’s analyze non-functional stakeholder needs SN-1 .3 Noise Level and SN-1 .4 Climate Control Mass . SN-1 .3 prompts
you to create the Sound Level MoE, and the SN-1 .4 determines the Total Mass MoE. Let’s capture these MoEs in your model.
To capture MoEs of the Vehicle Climate Control Unit
1. Select the shape of the MoEs Holder block and click the Create Element button > Value Property.
2. Type Sound Level to specify the name of the new value property and press Enter.
3. Right-click the value property and select Stereotype.
4. In the search box, type moe and press Ctrl + Spacebar to select the «moe» stereotype.
5. Press Enter. The «moe» stereotype is applied on the Sound Level value property.
6. Right-click the value property and select Is Derived. It becomes derived, which means that it is calculable (not
definable).
7. Repeat the entire procedure to capture the Total Mass MoE.
In addition to this, you should specify value types for these MoEs. The majority of the commonly used value types are
stored in the ISO 80000 library of units.
To set a standard unit (from the library) as MoE type
1. Select any of the value properties and click ISO on the smart manipulator toolbar. Wait until the library of units is
loaded.
2. Select the Total Mass value property and click the Specify Type button on the smart manipulator toolbar.
3. Type kilog to find the mass[kilogram] value type and select it. The type is specified.
Custom units should be created manually.
To set a custom unit as MoE type
1. Select the Sound Level value property and click the Specify Type button on the smart manipulator toolbar.
2. Type dBA and press Enter. The custom value type is created in the model, directly under the package 4 Measurements
of Effectiveness, and specified as the value type of the Sound Level value property.
i The set of MoEs captured as the MoEs Holder block can later be used in different models to assign the same
numerical characteristics to other systems of interest.
White-box perspective
Introduction
Once the problem definition from the black-box perspective is finished, or in other words the operational analysis of the SoI
is completed, you can switch to analyzing the SoI from the white-box perspective. This helps to understand in detail how the
system shall operate, instead of already producing the system design.
In the second phase of the problem domain definition, you should go into deeper analysis of system functions in order to
identify the functional blocks, also known as logical subsystems of the SoI. Functional blocks are the first step towards the
solution architecture of the system.
Deeper analysis of system functions is called functional decomposition. As you can see in the following figure, every function
performed by the SoI, as identified in the B2 cell (layer 2), is decomposed in the W2.initial cell (layer 3). Functions of the de-
tailed behavior are then grouped by functional blocks to convey that each functional block performs one or more functions.
The functional decomposition process can have as many iterations as you need in order to achieve relevant granularity of
the problem domain definition. As you can see in the following figure, functions at each layer of detail can be decomposed
into even more detailed behavior. Functional blocks are accordingly decomposed into more elementary structures. It’s im-
portant to mention that the granularity of system behavior and structure must be consistent in each level of detail.
After logical subsystems are identified, interactions between them can be specified. Every subsystem can have its own
numerical characteristics, i.e., measurements of effectiveness. The functions of the SoI, its logical architecture, and MoEs
all together establish the basis for specifying system requirements (see S1 cell).
Modeling the problem domain from the white-box perspective is explained step by step in related pages.
PILLAR
Black
Box
Needs Effectiveness
Problem
White
Box
Communication
Testing
... ... ... ... Analysis
Implementation
Requirements
W2. Functional Analysis: initial

What is it?
In this cell, you should go into deeper analysis of the system behavior by decomposing every function performed by the
SoI in B2.
Modeling in this cell includes two phases: initial and final. During the initial phase of W2, top-level functions performed
by the SoI are decomposed to specify more detailed system behavior. This helps to identify the functional blocks, also
known as logical subsystems, that perform these functions. To capture these subsystems, you should switch to W3. After-
wards, you should return to W2 and specify which subsystems are responsible for performing which functions.
It is important to note that going into deeper analysis, the subfunctions of a decomposed function can be decomposed
as well. Decomposition can be performed as many times as you need to achieve the relevant granularity of the problem
you need to address. Every decomposed subfunction is regarded as a function from the standpoint of its subfunctions.
The initial phase of the W2 cell produces decomposed use case scenarios, also known as white-box scenarios.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, the functional analysis is performed by the Requirements Team.
How to model?
Functional analysis is a continuity of use case scenario refinements by using SysML activity diagrams.
A new SysML activity diagram should be created for every function in B2 allocated to SoI. Though there are two or even
more swimlane partitions, you should choose only those functions that are nested under the partition that represents
the block which captures your SoI. The following figure shows the white-box scenario of the Reach Required Temperature
function (which is a part of the Feel Comfortable Temperature use case scenario) performed by the Climate Control Unit
SoI.
Modeling the action flow of the white-box scenario stimulates the identification of logical subsystems of the SoI.
What’s next?
• White-box scenarios stimulates the identification of logical subsystems of the SoI. Hence, the next cell is W3.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Organizing the model for W2
According to the design of the MagicGrid framework, model artifacts that capture decomposed system functions should be
stored under the structure of packages displayed in the following figure. As you can see, the top-level package represents
the domain, the medium-level package represents the perspective, and the bottom-level package represents the cell.
To organize the model for W2
1. Right-click the 1 Problem Domain package and select Create Element.
3. Type 2 White Box to specify the name of the new package and press Enter.
4. Right-click the 2 White Box package and select Create Element.
5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to create the package named 2 Functional Analysis .
Step 2 . Creating an activity diagram to decompose a function

Let’s say you want to decompose the function captured in your model as the Reach Required Temperature activity. If so,
you need to create a SysML activity diagram inside that activity.
To create a SysML activity diagram inside the Reach Required Temperature activity
1. Open the Feel Comfortable Temperature activity diagram:
b. Click Diagram to search for diagrams only and type Fe.
c. When you see the Feel Comfortable Temperature activity diagram selected in the search results list (see the
following figure), press Enter. The diagram is opened.
2. Select the shape of the Reach Required Temperature action and click the SysML Activity Diagram button on its
smart manipulator toolbar (see the following figure). A newly created activity diagram opens.
3. In the Model Browser, select the Reach Required Temperature activity:
a. Right-click the shape of the Reach Required Temperature action on the diagram pane.
b. Select Go To > Behavior Reach Required Temperature. The activity is selected in the Model Browser.
4. Drag the Reach Required Temperature activity to the package 2 Functional Analysis. The related activity diagram is
moved in together.
i Now if you go back to the activity diagram Feel Comfortable Temperature (simply by clicking on the open
diagram toolbar), you can see that the shape of the Reach Required Temperature action is decorated with the
rake ( ) icon. The decoration means that the action contains an internal diagram, which opens simply by dou-
ble-clicking the shape of that action.
Step 3 . Specifying the white-box scenario

Now let’s specify the white-box scenario of the function captured as the Reach Required Temperature activity.
Let’s say the scenario includes the following steps:
1. Prepare System
2. Heat (if the required temperature is higher (>) than the temperature in the cabin)
3. Cool (if the required temperature is lower (<) than the temperature in the cabin)
4. Transfer Data
5. Display Data
To specify the white-box scenario of the Reach Required Temperature activity
1. Open the Reach Required Temperature activity diagram, if not opened yet.
2. Be sure the Automatic Behavior Creation mode is enabled in the diagram. Otherwise, actions created in the diagram
will not be typed by activities. For this, click the Automatic Behavior Creation button once or twice.
node is created.
4. Click the Control Flow button on the smart manipulator of the initial node shape, and then click an empty place
on the diagram pane. A new action typed by the new activity is created.
5. Type Prepare System and press Enter.
i Be sure you’re typing the name after the colon (“:”). Otherwise, the name is given to the action, but not to the
activity which types that action.
6. Capture other items to build the complete scenario, which is displayed in the following figure. Here are the guidelines
to help you:
• To capture actions, use the smart manipulator toolbar, as in step 4.

• To draw a control flow between existing elements, click the Control Flow button on the smart manipulator of
the element to be at the tail end and then click the element to be at the arrow end.
• To change the type of the element you want to create at the arrow end of the new control flow (for example, from
action to decision or from decision to merge), right-click (instead of simply clicking!) the empty place in the diagram
pane and select that type.
• To specify a guard, select the control flow and type the square bracket, and then specify the condition, for example,
[Required Temp > Cabin Temp .
The scenario just created enables us to presume that the Vehicle Climate Control Unit may consist of four subsystems:
one for control ling other subsystems, one for heating the air, and one for cooling it, and one for displaying data to the
user. Thus, it’s now time to move to the W3 cell and learn how to capture them.
W3. Logical Subsystems Communication

What is it?
While functional analysis within the initial phase of the W2 cell helps to identify logical subsystems, this cell is to define
them in the model. The logical subsystem should be considered as a group of interconnected and interactive parts that
performs one or more functions of the system of interest.
It’s important to note that every subsystem can be decomposed into a more elementary structure. The number of iter-
ations of such decomposition depends on the granularity level of the system architecture you want to address. Every
subsystem is regarded as a system from the standpoint of its internal parts.
Overall, this cell produces:
• Inputs and outputs of the SoI

• Definitions of logical subsystems of the SoI Interactions:
• Between logical subsystems
• Between logical subsystems and the outside of the system
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, the structural decomposition of the system is performed by the
Requirements Team.
How to model?
To define inputs and outputs of the SoI, you can use the infrastructure of the bdd created for the block, which represents
that system in your model. These inputs and outputs can be specified as proxy ports of the system block. Some of them
are usually identified by analyzing the system context specified in B3, while others are determined considering the results
of the functional analysis performed in the initial phase of the W2 cell. Proxy ports should be typed by interface blocks,
which we recommend storing in a separate folder to keep the model well-organized. The following figure shows the in-
puts and outputs of the Climate Control Unit.
To define the logical subsystems of the SoI and the interactions between them, you can utilize the infrastructure of the
ibd created for the block that represents the SoI in your model. Logical subsystems, identified while performing the func-
tional analysis in the initial phase of the W2 cell, can be specified as part properties of the block that represents the SoI.
Blocks that type these part properties should be stored in a separate folder to keep the model well-organized. Connectors
between these part properties indicate interactions between appropriate logical subsystems. Connectors between part
properties and the diagram frame represent interactions between part properties and the outside of the system (inputs
and outputs). Connections should be established via proxy ports. The following figure shows the logical subsystems of
the Climate Control Unit.
If the functional analysis requires decomposing one or more subsystems of the SoI, we highly recommend using the same
model structure pattern for each subsystem as you used for the SoI. Repeating the structure created at the highest level
of abstraction for every lower level helps to establish the good and easily readable recursive structure of the model.
What’s next?
• After the logical subsystems are defined and interactions between them are specified, you can complete the func-
tional analysis by grouping the subfunctions by logical subsystems, which means you should move to W2.final.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Organizing the model for W3
Following the structure of the MagicGrid framework, model artifacts that capture system architecture should be stored in
a separate package inside the 2 White Box package. We recommend naming the package Logical Architecture.
To organize the model for W3
1. Right-click the 2 White Box package and select Create Element.
3. Type 3 Logical Architecture to specify the name of the new package and press Enter.
For the purpose of keeping the inner structure of the 3 Logical Architecture package well-organized, you need to create a
few more packages. These are:
• 1 Interfaces
• 2 Logical Subsystems
When you create them on your own (by following the previous procedure), the Model Browser of your solution domain
model should look the same as displayed in the following figure.
Step 2 . Creating a bdd for capturing SoI interfaces

To start capturing interfaces, which specify inputs and outputs of the SoI, you first need to create a bdd and display the
block that captures the system on the diagram pane. But before this, you should change the location of that block in your
model by moving it to the package 3 Logical Architecture .
To create and prepare a bdd for capturing SoI interfaces
1. Create the bdd:
a. Right-click the 3 Logical Architecture package and select Create Diagram.
b. In the search box, type bdd, the acronym of the SysML block definition diagram, and then press Enter. The dia-
gram is created.
c. Type Climate Control Unit Interfaces to specify the name of the new diagram and press Enter again.
2. In the Model Browser, select the Climate Control Unit block. For this, use the quick find capability:
a. Press Ctrl + Alt + F. The Quick Find dialog opens.
b. Type Cli.
c. When you see the Climate Control Unit block selected in the search results list (see the following figure), press
Enter. The Climate Control Unit block is selected in the Model Browser.
3. Drag the Climate Control Unit block to the newly created package 3 Logical Architecture (see step 1 of the W3 tutorial).
4. Drag the Climate Control Unit block to the diagram pane. The shape of the block appears on the diagram.
Step 3 . Capturing SoI interfaces

By analyzing the system context specified in the final phase of the B3 cell, we can conclude that the Climate Control Unit
takes air from the cabin of the vehicle and must be controlled by the vehicle occupant. These are inputs of the SoI. It also
requires electrical and mechanical power, as can be derived from the results of the functional analysis performed in the
initial phase of the W2 cell.
The functional analysis results also reveal that the Climate Control Unit provides cooled or heated air to the cabin. System
status, like Climate Control On or Climate Control Off and the temperature of the air in the cabin, is output too. This can be
identified from the system context specified in the final phase of the B3 cell.
Inputs and outputs can be specified as proxy ports of the Climate Control Unit block. Proxy ports don’t need names, but
they should be typed by interface blocks, which define the above described inputs and outputs. Flow properties of the
interface block with in direction indicate input, and flow properties with out direction indicate output.
To capture system interfaces
1. Open the diagram Climate Control Unit Interfaces, if not opened yet.
2. Make sure the Type Selection Mode is on in the diagram. This mode enables you to type proxy ports (with interface
blocks) instantly after they are created.
3. Select the shape of the Climate Control Unit block and on its smart manipulator click the Proxy Port button (see
the following figure). A new proxy port appears on the border of the block shape.
i Proxy ports are by default named p1, p2, . . ., pn. It’s not necessary to rename them, since they don’t convey any
semantics.
4. Type Air next to the colon (“:”) directly on the proxy port shape and press Enter. A new interface block to type the
proxy port is created and displayed in the Model Browser, within the 3 Logical Architecture package.
5. Select that interface block and drag it to the diagram pane. A shape of the interface block appears on the diagram.
6. Click the Create Element button on that shape and select Flow Property.
7. Type Air Flow directly on the shape of the interface block to specify the name of the new flow property and press
Enter.
i In this case, you don’t need to modify the direction of the flow property, since the default direction is inout as
it should be. In the opposite case, you can change the direction simply by removing the irrelevant part of the
direction indicator (in or out).
As a result, a bidirectional arrow appears on the shape of the proxy port (see the following figure). This indicates that the
proxy port is both the input and output interface of your SoI.
8. Repeat step 3 to step 7 to specify other interfaces. After you’re done, the contents of the diagram Climate Control Unit
Interfaces should look similar to the one in the following figure.
i We recommend placing shapes of in proxy ports on the left border of the Climate Control Unit block, and out
and inout proxy ports on the right border.
i The following figure displays the Blackbox ICD Table, an alternative view of the Climate Control Unit interfaces.
This tutorial doesn’t explain how to build the table, but you can find this information in the latest documenta-
tion of the modeling tool.
9. In the Model Browser, select all the interface blocks and drag them to the 1 Interfaces package you’ve created in step
1 of the W3 tutorial.
i To select the set of non-adjacent items in the tree, click the first one, press Ctrl, and while holding it down,
select other items one by one.
The blocks are moved to the 1 Interfaces package.
Step 4 . Creating an ibd for capturing logical subsystems

Logical subsystems of the Climate Control Unit can be specified in an ibd, which is owned by the Climate Control Unit
block. According to the SysML, the frame of this diagram represents the borders of the SoI and thus allows you to specify
interactions between the internal parts of the SoI and the outside of the system via proxy ports (see step 3 of the W3 tu-
torial), displayed on that frame.
To create an ibd for capturing logical subsystems of th e SoI
1. In the Model Browser, right-click the Climate Control Unit block and select Create Diagram.
2. In the search box, type ibd, the acronym of the SysML internal block diagram, and then press Enter. The Display
Parts/Ports dialog opens.
3. Click Clear All and then click Proxy Port on the right side of the dialog. Only proxy ports of the Climate Control Unit
block become selected in the tree on the left.
4. Click OK. The diagram is created, and the proxy ports are displayed on its frame.
5. Type Climate Control Unit Subsystems to specify the name of the new diagram and press Enter again.
6. Move the shapes of the in proxy ports onto the left border of the diagram frame, and the shapes of the inout proxy
ports onto the right.
The final view of your diagram should be similar to the one in the following figure.
i While the Climate Control Unit Interfaces bdd (see step 3 of the W3 tutorial) represents the SoI as a black box,
the idb is created to represent the same system as a white box: the Climate Control Unit block is opened to see its
internal structure. That’s why proxy ports displayed on the borders of the Climate Control Unit block in the bdd
are displayed on the diagram frame in the ibd.
Step 5 . Capturing logical subsystems

As the functional analysis in the initial phase of the W2 cell reveals, the Climate Control Unit consists of these logical
subsystems:
• Control System
• User Interface (UI) System
• Heating System
• Cooling System
These subsystems can be specified as part properties of the Climate Control Unit block. Part properties don’t need names,
but they should be typed by blocks that define the above-declared logical subsystems.
To define logical subsystems
1. Open the Climate Control Unit Subsystems ibd, created in step 5 of the W3 tutorial, if not yet opened.
2. Make sure the Type Selection Mode is on in the diagram. Otherwise, parts created in this diagram will not be typed
by blocks.
3. Click the Part Property button on the diagram palette and then click an empty place on the diagram pane. An un-
named part property is created, and the list of existing blocks to type it is offered.
4. Type Control System next to the colon (“:”) directly on the part property shape and press Enter. The Control System
block to type the just-created part property is created in the Model Browser.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to create another logical subsystems from the list above.
When you’re done, your ibd Climate Control Unit Subsystems should look very similar to the one below.
Step 6 . Specifying interactions in the context of the SoI

Logical subsystems can interact with each other as well as with the outside of the system. An interaction between two
subsystems can be specified as a connector linking a couple of appropriate part properties. The one between the sub-
system and the outside of the SoI can be specified as a connector linking the appropriate part property and the diagram
frame (here you should remember that the diagram frame in the ibd represents the borders of the SoI). In both cases,
connectors are established via proxy ports.
It’s easier to start with specifying interconnections that come from the outside of the SoI. Let’s specify that all logical sub-
systems of the Climate Control Unit require electrical or mechanical power; that is, energy in general.
To draw a connector between the diagram frame and the Control System part property via the Energy proxy port
1. Select the Energy proxy port and click the Connector button on its smart manipulator toolbar.
2. Click the Control System part property.
3. Select New Proxy Port. A proxy port is created on the Control System part property, and the connector is established
between the diagram frame and the selected part property.
Repeat the procedure to draw the rest of the adequate connectors. When you’re done, your Climate Control Unit Subsys-
tems ibd should look very similar to the one below.
Also, it’s necessary to specify that the Heating System takes some air from the cabin and provides the heated air back.
To draw a connector between the diagram frame and the Heating System part property via the Air proxy port
1. Select the Air proxy port and click the Connector button on its smart manipulator toolbar.
2. Click the Heating System part property.
3. Select New Proxy Port. A proxy port is created on the Heating System part property, and the connector is established
Repeat the procedure to draw another connector, this time between the diagram frame and the Cooling System part
property to specify that the Cooling System takes some air from the cabin too, and provides the cooled air back. As a
result, your diagram should look like the one in the following figure.
i The connector’s color (as well as it’s other features) can be changed by modifying the symbol properties of that
connector. For this, right-click the connector and select Symbol Properties. In the open dialog, select the value
cell of the Pen Color property and click the ... button to open the Color dialog. Then select blue, or any other
color you want, and close both dialogs.
Another interaction with the outside of the SoI is accepting commands from the user, that is, the vehicle occupant, and
providing information, such as the status of the Climate Control Unit or cabin temperature.
To draw the connector between the diagram frame and the UI System part property via the I/O proxy port
1. Select the I/O proxy port and click the Connector button on its smart manipulator toolbar.
2. Click the UI System part property.
3. Select New Proxy Port. A proxy port is created on the UI System part property, and the connector is established be-
tween the diagram frame and the selected part property.
Now it’s time to specify interactions between subsystems, so let’s define that the Control System governs the rest of the
logical subsystems in the Climate Control Unit and receives status from each of them.
To draw a connector between the Control System and UI System part properties
1. Select the Control System part property and click the Proxy Port button on its smart manipulator toolbar.
2. Select I/O. The new proxy port becomes typed by the I/O interface block.
3. Select the Connector button on its smart manipulator toolbar.
4. Click the UI System part property.
5. Select New Proxy Port. A proxy port is created on the UI System part property, and the new connector is created
between these part properties.
Repeat the procedure to draw connectors from the Control System part property to the Heating System and Cooling Sys-
tem part properties. When you’re done, your Climate Control Unit Subsystems ibd should look very similar to the one
below.
i The following figure displays the alternative view of the Climate Control Unit Subsystems ibd. This tutorial doesn’t
explain how to build the table, but you can find this information in the latest documentation of the modeling
tool.
The blocks defining logical subsystems are by default stored in the same package with the Climate Control Unit block. To
keep the model well-organized, we recommend moving them into the 2 Logical Subsystems package, a subpackage of the
3 Logical Architecture package.
To organize the blocks that capture logical subsystems into the 2 Logical Subsystems package
1. In the Model Browser, select all the blocks that capture the logical subsystems.
2. Drag the selection to the 2 Logical Subsystems package.
i When you decide to decompose these subsystems, remember that the model structure for specifying each
subsystem should be created by using the same structure pattern as the one for the SoI. The figure below
illustrates the structure of the system model in the case of decomposing the Cooling System.
W2. Functional Analysis: final

What is it?
The final phase of the W2 cell is necessary to complete the functional analysis of the SoI. The completion requires allocat-
ing system behavior to the structure of that system. In other words, you should specify what logical subsystems defined
in W3 are responsible for performing each function. For this, functions are grouped by logical subsystems.
Here it’s important to understand that granularity of system behavior and structure must be consistent in each level of
detail. This means you cannot assign the function of the subsystem component to that subsystem. That’s why we recom-
mend performing W2.initial, W3, and W2.final in precise sequence at each iteration of functional-structural decomposi-
tion of the SoI. Going into deeper analysis is only possible after you’re completely done with the current level of granu-
larity. The recommended correspondence between the granularity levels of behavioral and structural decomposition is
displayed in the following figure.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, the functional analysis is performed by the Requirements Team.
How to model?
In the SysML activity diagram that displays the white-box scenario captured in the initial phase of the W2 cell, subsystems
can be represented as swimlane partitions. A swimlane partition actually represents the part property of the SoI block. An
action which captures a system function can be easily assigned to a relevant swimlane partition by dragging that action
onto it.
The following figure displays the subfunctions of the Reach Required Temperature function, grouped by the logical sub-
systems of the SoI: Control System, UI System, Heating System, and Cooling System.
What’s next?
• System functions and logical architecture, with or without numerical characteristics of the SoI, establish the basis for
the system requirements specification. Thus, you can switch to W1.
• You might also need to specify numerical characteristics for one or more logical subsystems, which would be more
specific than those defined in B4 for the entire SoI. In such case, you should move to W4.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Grouping functions by logical subsystems
Now it’s time to update the SysML activity diagram Reach Required Temperature (see step 2 of the W initial phase tutori-
al) with swimlane partitions, which represent logical subsystems of the Vehicle Climate Control Unit. In sequel, actions
should be allocated to these swimlane partitions in order to specify what logical subsystems are responsible for preform-
ing each function.
To group functions by logical subsystems
1. Open the SysML activity diagram Reach Required Temperature:
b. Click Diagram to search for diagrams only and type Rea.

c. When you see the SysML activity diagram Reach Required Temperature selected in the search results list (see the
following figure), press Enter. The diagram is opened.
2. Select the Climate Control Unit block in the Model Browser:
b. Click Any Element to search for particular elements only and type Cli.
c. When you see the Climate Control Unit block selected in the search results list (see the following figure), press
Enter.
3. Expand the selected block, if not yet expanded, and select all the part properties it contains.
i To select the set of adjacent items in the tree, click the first one, press Shift, and while holding it down, select
the last one.
4. Drag the selection onto the empty area of the open diagram pane. Blank swimlane partitions with headers named as
corresponding part properties are created and displayed in the diagram (see the following figure).
i If you want the sequence of partitions to be the same as in the following figure, select the header of the
Control System partition and click the Move Swimlane Left button twice. As a result, it becomes the second
partition in the succession.
5. Right-click any of the swimlane partitions and select Allocation Mode > Usage. The allocation to usage mode is en-
abled in the diagram.
6. Drag the Prepare System and Transfer Data actions, the initial and final nodes, both merge nodes, and the decision
node to the Control System partition.
7. Drag the Heat action to the Heating System partition.
8. Drag the Cool action to the Cooling System partition.
9. Drag the Display Temperature to the UI System partition.

When you’re done, your SysML activity diagram Reach Required Temperature should look very similar to the one below.
Even though more detailed than the black-box one defined in step 5 of the B2 tutorial, this is still a highlevel scenario and
should be decomposed as well. For this, you should decompose every function by performing as many iterations of the
W2.initial, W3, and W2.final steps as necessary.
W4. MoEs for Subsystems

What is it?
In this cell, you should specify the MoEs for one or more subsystems of the SoI to make further refinements of non-func-
tional stakeholder needs. This cell is optional, as you might not need to specify MoEs additional to those defined in the
B4 cell.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, MoEs are specified by the Requirements Team.
How to model?
To capture MoEs for subsystems in the modeling tool, you can utilize the infrastructure of the SysML bdd – the same way
that you used it for capturing MoEs of the SoI in the B4 cell. There is a chance that in this cell you don’t even need to create
a new bdd; you can exploit the one created for specifying interfaces of the subsystem. For better understanding, remem-
ber the example given at the end of step 6 of the W3 tutorial. Imagine that the Cooling System already has interfaces
specified in the bdd created directly under the Cooling System package (see step 3 of the W3 tutorial). This bdd can later
serve another purpose; i.e., for capturing MoEs of the Cooling System.
What’s next?
• Having the measurements of effectiveness, you can specify design constraints, which can be used to verify the sys-
tem design (see S4).
Tutorial
B1-W1. Stakeholder Needs: final

What is it?
In order to have a complete problem domain model, you need to establish traceability relationships between the ele-
ments that capture stakeholder needs and the elements that capture the functions, logical architecture, and non-func-
tional characteristics of the SoI. Since the latter are more concrete than stakeholder needs, we recommend establishing
refine relationships. These relationships should point from the elements of the lowest level of detail, for example, activ-
ities that capture leaf functions of the functional decomposition model. In an ideal case, every item of the stakeholder
needs must be refined by one or more elements of the other SysML types.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, traceability relationships are established by the Requirements
Team.
How to model?
Neither of the SysML diagrams is suitable for creating a mass of cross-cutting relationships, such as «refine». For this, a
matrix or a map is more suitable. The modeling tool offers a wide variety of predefined matrices for specifying cross-cut-
ting relationships. To capture «refine» relationships, a Refine Requirement Matrix can be used.
What’s next?
• You can move to specifying system requirements, which is described in S1.initial.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Creating a matrix for capturing refine relationships
To get ready for capturing «refine» relationships, you should create a Refine Requirement Matrix first. Since the matrix
is used to specify the refinements of stakeholder needs stored in the model under the 1 Stakeholder Needs package (as
requirements), it can be created right there too.
The matrix is predefined to represent requirements in its columns and refine relationships in its cells. You only need to
specify that the matrix displays activities and value properties (with «moe» stereotype) in its rows, and that
• Column elements are taken from the 1 Stakeholder Needs package

• Row elements are taken from the 2 Functional Analysis package and the 4 Measurements of Effectiveness package
To create a Refine Requirement Matrix
1. Expand the 1 Problem Domain and 1 Black Box packages in succession, if not yet expanded.
2. Right-click the 1 Stakeholder Needs package and select Create Diagram.
3. In the open dialog, click the Expert button to turn on the appropriate mode.
4. In the search box, type rrm, the acronym of the Refine Requirement Matrix, and then press Enter. The matrix is created.
5. Type Functions and MoEs to SNs to specify the name of the new matrix and press Enter again.
6. Specify the column element type:
a. In the Model Browser, select the 1 Stakeholder Needs package.
b. Drag it onto the Column Scope box in the Criteria area above the matrix contents. The selected package be-
comes the scope of the matrix columns (see the following figure).
7. Specify row element type:
a. In the Model Browser, select any activity; for example, the Cool activity.
b. Holding down the Ctrl key, select any value property; for example, the Total Mass value property.
c. Drag the selection onto the Row Element Type box in the Criteria area above the matrix contents. The rows of
the matrix are set to display the elements of the selected types (see the following figure).
8. Specify the row element scope:
a. In the Model Browser, select the 2 Functional Analysis package.
b. Holding down the Ctrl key, select the 4 Measurements of Effectiveness package.
c. Drag the selection onto the Row Scope box in the Criteria area above the matrix contents. The selected packages
become the scope of the matrix rows (see the following figure).
The following figure displays the Criteria area of the matrix, with highlights on the step 6, 7, and 8 related criteria.
Step 2 . Capturing refine relationships

Now you’re ready to capture refine relationships. Let’s create the one between the Cool activity and the SN-1 .2 Heat and
Cool Modes stakeholder need (captured as a requirement) to convey that the former refines the latter.
To specify the refine relationship in the matrix
• Double-click the cell at the intersection of the row that displays the SN-1 .2 Heat and Cool Modes requirement and
the column that displays the Cool activity. The derivation relationship is created between the appropriate items and
displayed in the cell.
After all refine relationships are captured, your Functions and MoEs to SNs matrix should be like the one in the following
efined by one or more elements of the other SysML types.
Solution domain
Introduction
Once the problem domain analysis is completed and the stakeholder needs are transferred into the model, it’s time to
start thinking about the solution. The solution architecture defines a precise model of the logical design of the system
or even several variations of it. In other words, this layer of abstraction provides one or more solutions for the problem
defined in the first layer of abstraction (including both the black- and white-box perspectives). Having several solutions,
a trade-off analysis can be performed to choose the optimal one for implementing the system.
It should be noted that problem domain can be specified by one organization, and solution architecture by another. Fur-
thermore, diverse solutions can be provided by separate organizations.
As you can see in the following table, building the solution architecture consists of specifying requirements, behavior,
structure, and parameters of the system under design (no longer system of interest!). Furthermore, the task of building a
solution architecture usually consists of more than one iteration, going down from the system-level to the subsystem-lev-
el, from the subsystem-level to the component-level architecture and even deeper, if there is a need identified. The preci-
sion of the system architecture model depends on the number of iterations.
PILLAR
Black
Box
Needs Effectiveness
Problem
White
Box
Communication
Testing
... ... ... ... Analysis
Implementation
Requirements
Deploying solution domain

Solution architecture can be specified in a single model and even in the same model with the problem domain definition.
However, in most cases, the scope and complexity of the solution architecture exceeds the scope and complexity of the
problem domain definition up to several times, especially when it includes more than one solution. Defining the solution
architecture in two or more separate models helps to manage the complexity. Moreover, such model partitioning enables
a more granular model ownership, change analysis and control, access control, concurrent modifications, and model re-
use. The following material describes an approach of deploying the solution architecture across multiple models. Though
this is not a part of the MagicGrid approach, you’re welcome to get familiar with it and adopt it in your organization, if you
find it worthwhile.
As was stated before, more than one solution architecture can be provided for the same problem. To explain our ap-
proach, we introduce the case of three solution architectures: Solution Domain 1, Solution Domain 2, and Solution Domain
3. Though the contents of the Solution Domain 1 and Solution Domain 2 are suppressed, you should consider them similar
to the contents of the Solution Domain 3. The High-Level Solution Architecture (HLSA) model is the core of each solution ar-
chitecture. Based on the results of the problem domain analysis, it defines the subsystems of the system under design in a
single-level hierarchy. As you can see in the following figure, there are three subsystems in this case: Subsystem 1, Subsys-
tem 2, and Subsystem 3. The HLSA model also specifies interfaces of each subsystem to determine how they inter-operate
with one another and integrate into the whole. Interfaces are not included in the figure below, to avoid clutter. The owner
of the HLSA model is the systems engineer (also known as the systems architect), the one, who has “a big picture view”
of the system under design. In other words, the systems engineer is like the conductor of an orchestra: he/she ensures
everyone is playing the same melody at the same time.
Definition of the subsystems in the HLSA model helps to identify work packages and allocate them to separate engineer-
ing teams. Every team develops one or more solution architectures for the allocated subsystem. It may happen that they
work in parallel. As you can see in the following figure, each of the three subsystems has several solutions defined: Solu-
tion 1 is visible on the top and the others are hidden underneath. The generalization relationship (solid line with hollow,
triangular arrowhead) between Subsystem 1 and Subsystem Design 1 .1 means that the engineering team working on the
Solution 1 of Subsystem 1 model knows (or speaking in terms of SysML, inherits) the design constraints (such as interfaces)
of the subsystem defined in the HLSA model, and must follow them. Other generalizations convey appropriate informa-
tion. Solution architectures of different subsystems and even different solution architectures of the same subsystem may
include a diverse number of components. A solution architecture of the subsystem defines the requirements, behavior,
structure, and parameters of that subsystem.
After engineering teams are done with the solution architectures of the subsystems, the systems engineer can integrate
them into a single model. He/she picks up the preferred one of each subsystem and builds the integrated solution archi-
tecture of the whole system. Actually, more than one solution can be proposed. As you can see in the following figure, we
call them System Configuration 1, System Configuration 2, etc. Just like the solution architecture of every subsystem, the
integrated solution architecture of the whole system under design defines the behavior, structure, and parameters, and
must meet system requirements specification.
Having the full model of the system under design, the systems engineer can perform the trade-off analysis and pick up
the optimal system configuration; having optimal system configurations of several solution architectures, the systems
engineer can pick up the optimal solution above all. This is illustrated by the Trade Off analysis in the figure below.
It’s important to mention that trade offs can be done not only between solution architectures, but at every level of gran-
ularity in the solution architecture.
S1. System Requirements: initial

What is it?
To be able to design a system architecture, you first need to have the system requirements specification in order to follow
it. Results of the problem domain analysis from both black- and white-box perspectives should serve you as input for pro-
ducing the system requirements specification. System requirements are derived from stakeholder needs, and they also
refine the elements captured in cells B2–B4 and W2–W4.
Modeling in this cell includes two phases: initial and final. During the initial phase, system requirements are captured and
the following traceability relationships are established:
• From system requirements to stakeholder needs – to assert what system requirements are derived from what stake-
holder needs
• From system requirements to the rest of the problem domain model – to assert what elements are refined by what
system requirement
After you’re done with the system architecture described in cells S2, S3.initial, S3.final, and S4, you should get back to
system requirements and establish satisfy relationships from system design elements to system requirements in order to
assert which of the former fulfill which of the latter. This is the final phase of modeling in this cell.
The same rules of modeling and setting traceability relationships apply for subsystem requirements, component require-
ments, and even those of deeper structure. Just like system requirements are derived from stakeholder needs, subsystem
requirements should be derived from system requirements, component requirements from subsystem requirements,
and so on. Just like system requirements are satisfied by system design elements, subsystem requirements should be
satisfied by subsystem design elements, component requirements by component design elements, and so on.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, the system requirements are specified by the Requirements Team.
How to model?
In the modeling tool, an item of system requirements specification can be stored as the SysML requirement, which has a
unique identification, name, and textual specification. Each system requirement must cover a certain item of stakeholder
needs. For this, you can use the «deriveReqt» relationship pointing from the system requirement to that item of stake-
holder needs. Moreover, each system requirement must refine one or more elements from the problem domain model.
For this, you can use the «refine» relationship pointing from the system requirement to some block, activity, or MoE, to
name a few.
As opposed to the textual specifications of stakeholder needs, the ones of system requirements must be formal and
written down by following certain guidelines; for example, write in short and clear sentences only, avoid conditional key-
words, such as if, except, as well; use the shall keyword; and include tables. For more information on how to write good
textual requirements, refer to INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook.
System requirements can be organized into one or more hierarchy levels. For this, use the containment relationships
among them. The SysML requirement referring to the system requirements specification must be at the top of the hierar-
chy. It may have no text.
The SysML requirement table or diagram can help to visualize the hierarchy of system requirements. They can also be
included in the requirements report. We recommend having a diagram or a table for displaying the hierarchy of sys-
tem requirements (see the first figure below), and another diagram or a matrix for establishing and visualizing various
traceability relationships; for example, derivation between system requirements and stakeholder needs (see the second
figure below).
What’s next?
When you have the system requirements specification, you can start building the system architecture; that is, move to
S3.initial.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Creating and organizing a model for S1 initial
To get ready for specifying system requirements, you need to establish an appropriate structure of the model beforehand.
Following the design of the MagicGrid framework, model artifacts that capture system requirements should be stored
under the structure of packages displayed in the following figure. As you can see, the upper-level package represents the
domain, and the lower-level package stands for the cell.
However, in real-world projects it is quite common to keep the solution domain model separated from the problem do-
main model. Following this practice, we recommend specifying the solution architecture of the Vehicle Climate Control
System (VCCS), generally referred to as the system under design, in another model (file). The contents of the problem
domain model should be available in that model, because the results of the problem domain analysis should be used as
the basis for the system requirements specification. Speaking in terms of the modeling tool, the problem domain model
should be used in the solution domain model. For this, we utilize the relevant capabilities of the modeling tool.
To create and organize the model for S1 initial
1. Start sharing the problem domain model.
i For more information on this topic and the topics mentioned in steps 2 and 3, refer to the latest documenta-
tion of your modeling tool.
2. Create a new model (file). It can be named VehicleCCS_Solution .mdzip.

3. Use the problem domain model as read-only in the solution domain model. This is the solution domain model of the
system.
i Names in grey indicate that elements cannot be modified. This is because the problem domain model is used
in the solution domain model as read-only.
6. Type 2 Solution Domain to specify the name of the new package and press Enter.
7. Right-click the 2 Solution Domain package and select Create Element.
8. Repeat step 5.
9. Type 1 System Requirements to specify the name of the new package and press Enter.
Step 2 . Creating a diagram for system requirements

For capturing and displaying system requirements, we recommend using the SysML requirement diagram or table. While
using the table is introduced in the tutorial of the B1-W1.initial phase, using the diagram is described as follows.
To create the SysML requirement diagram for specifying system requirements
1. Right-click the 1 System Requirements package and select Create Diagram.

2. In the search box, type rd, where r stands for requirement and d for diagram, and then doublepress Enter. The dia-
gram is created.
i Note that the diagram is named after the package where it is stored. This name works for the diagram, too.
You may only remove the sequence number from its name.
Step 3 . Specifying system requirements

The white-box analysis of the Vehicle Climate Control Unit reveals the following system requirements:
# Name Text
1 Manual Temperature The vehicle occupant (the driver or a passenger) shall be able to set the temperature he/
Control she desires in the cabin.
2 Automatic Temperature The unit shall automatically switch from air conditioning to heating without manual
Control intervention.
3 Total Mass The total mass of the unit shall not exceed 20 kg.
4 Engine Use For heating the air, the unit shall use mechanical power generated by the vehicle engine.
5 Temperature Display The unit shall have a digital display for setting temperature.
6 Sound Level The unit shall not be louder than 50 dB while operating.
To capture the system requirements in your model
1. Open the System Requirements diagram, if not opened yet.
2. Click the Requirement button on the diagram palette and then click a free space on the diagram pane. An empty
requirement is created.
3. Type the name of the first requirement from the table above directly on the shape and press Enter.
4. Click the Text property value on the shape once and then again. The property switches to the edit mode.
5. Type the text of the first requirement from the table.
6. Click somewhere outside the shape when you’re done.
7. Repeat steps 2 to 6 to capture the rest of the requirements.

After you’re done, the contents of the System Requirements diagram should look very similar to the one in the following
figure.
In addition, you need a grouping requirement to represent the entire requirements specification. The easiest way of cre-
ating a grouping requirement is described in step 4 of the B1-W1 initial phase tutorial. Follow the procedure to create the
grouping requirement VCC System Requirements Specification.
To display the requirements hierarchy in the System Requirements diagram
1. Drag the requirement VCC System Requirements Specification to that diagram pane.
2. Right-click the shape of that requirement and select Display > Display Paths. Containment relationships among
requirements are displayed on the diagram pane.
3. On the diagram toolbar (located on the top of the diagram pane), click the Quick Diagram Layout button .
In order to distinguish system requirements from stakeholder needs and component requirements, we recommend
adding prefixes to their numbers. Follow the procedure described in step 5 of the B1-W1 initial phase tutorial to add the
prefix SR- to your system requirements. Subsequently, these system requirements can be refactored to more specific
ones. For example, the Manual Temperature Control requirement can become functional, the Total Mass requirement
physical, and the Sound Level requirement the one of performance. For this, follow the procedure described in step 6
of the B1-W1 initial phase tutorial. After you are done with numbering and categorization, the contents of your System
Requirements diagram should look very similar to the one in the following figure.
Step 4 . Establishing traceability to stakeholder needs

Traceability relationships from system requirements to stakeholder needs can be established either in a SysML require-
ments diagram or a dependency matrix. We recommend using the dependency matrix for large scope, because it pro-
vides a more compact view of the model than the diagram does.
In this case, you need to assert what system requirements (more specific) are derived from what stakeholder needs (more
generic), that is, establish derivation or, in terms of SysML, «deriveReqt» relationships between them. Therefore, we rec-
ommend utilizing the infrastructure of the Derive Requirement Matrix, one of the predefined dependency matrices in the
modeling tool. As opposed to a common dependency matrix, it has certain criteria predefined to speed up building the
view.
To create a Derive Requirement Matrix
1. In the Model Browser, right-click the 1 System Requirements package and select Create Diagram.
2. In the search box, type drm, the acronym for the predefined Derive Requirement Matrix, and press Enter.
i If you don’t see any result, click the Expert button below the search results list. The list of available diagrams
expands in the Expert mode.
3. Type System Requirements to Stakeholder Needs to specify the name of the new matrix and press Enter again.
4. In the Model Browser, select the 1 System Requirements package and drag it onto the Row Scope box in the Criteria
area above the matrix contents. The 1 System Requirements package becomes the scope of the matrix rows.
5. In the Model Browser, select the 1 Stakeholder Needs package (for this you might need to subsequently expand the
1 Problem Domain and 1 Black Box packages first) and drag it onto the Column Scope box in the Criteria area above
the matrix contents. The 1 Stakeholder Needs package becomes the scope of the matrix columns.
6. Click the Direction box and select Row to Column, as you need to establish derivation relationships pointing from
system requirements, which are row elements, to stakeholder needs, which are column elements.
7. Click the Refresh hyperlink in the notification box below the Criteria area. The contents of the matrix are updated.
All the cells are empty at the moment.
The following figure displays the Criteria area of the matrix, with highlights on step 4, 5, and 6 related criteria.
Now you’re ready to establish derivation relationships. Let’s create the one between SR-1 .1 Automatic Temperature Con-
trol and SN-1 .1 Setting Temperature to convey that the former is derived from the latter or, in other words, that this system
requirement is created because of that stakeholder need.
To specify the derivation relationship in the matrix
• Double-click the cell at the intersection of the row that displays SR-1 .2 Manual Temperature Control and the column
that displays SN-1 .1 Setting Temperature. The derivation relationship is created between the appropriate items and
displayed in the cell.
After all derivation relationships are established, your System Requirements to Stakeholder Needs matrix should resemble
the one in the following figure. In the ideal case, every system requirement must be derived from one or more stakeholder
needs, and every stakeholder need must be covered by one or more system requirements. Otherwise, the system require-
ments specification must be revised and updated.
Step 5 . Establishing traceability to the rest of the problem domain model

Traceability relationships from system requirements to the rest of the problem domain model can be established either in
a SysML requirements diagram or in a dependency matrix. We recommend using the dependency matrix for large scope,
because it provides a more compact view of the model than the diagram does.
In this case, you need to assert what problem domain elements are refined by what system requirements; that is, estab-
lish refine or, in terms of SysML, «refine» relationships between them. Therefore, we recommend utilizing the infrastruc-
ture of the Refine Requirement Matrix, one of the predefined dependency matrices in the modeling tool. As opposed to a
common dependency matrix, it has certain criteria predefined to speed up building the view.
Let’s assume that you want to display blocks capturing system structure and interfaces, activities capturing system func-
tions, and MoEs capturing calculable characteristics of the system as columns, while system requirements are displayed
as rows of the matrix.
To create a Refine Requirement Matrix
2. In the search box, type rrm, the acronym for the predefined Refine Requirement Matrix, and press Enter.
3. Type System Requirements to Problem Domain to specify the name of the new matrix and press Enter again.
4. On the matrix toolbar, click the Change Axes button to swap rows of the matrix with columns. Requirement becomes
the type of the matrix rows.
5. In the Model Browser, select the 1 System Requirements package and drag it onto the Row Scope box in the Criteria
area above the matrix contents. The 1 System Requirements package becomes the scope of the matrix rows.
6. In the Model Browser, select any block, activity, and value property with the «moe» stereotype and drag the selection
onto the Column Element Type box in the Criteria area above the matrix contents. Blocks, activities, and value
properties with the «moe» stereotype become types of the matrix columns.
select other items one by one. This also applies to step 7.
7. In the Model Browser, select the 4 Measurements of Effectiveness package (for this you might need to expand the 1
Problem Domain and 1 Black Box packages first) and the 2 White Box package, and then drag the selection onto the
Column Scope box in the Criteria area above the matrix contents. Both packages become the scope of the matrix
columns.
8. Click the Direction box and select Row to Column, as you need to establish refine relationships pointing from system
requirements, that is row elements, to the artifacts that capture problem domain concepts, which are displayed as
column elements.
9. Click the Refresh hyperlink in the notification box below the Criteria area. The contents of the matrix is updated. All
the cells are empty at the moment.
The following figure displays the Criteria area of the matrix with highlights on step 5, 6, 7, and 8 related criteria.
Now you’re ready to establish refine relationships. Let’s create the one between the SR-1.6 Total Mass physical system
requirement and the Total Mass MoE to assert that the former refines the latter or, in other words, that this system re-
quirement is created to refine that MoE.
To specify the refine relationship in the matrix
• Double-click the cell at the intersection of the row that displays SR-1 .6 Total Mass and the column that displays Total
Mass. The refine relationship is created between appropriate items and displayed in the cell.
After all refine relationships are established, your System Requirements to Problem Domain matrix should resemble the
one in the following figure. In the ideal case, every system requirement must refine one or more elements captured in the
problem domain model, and every element must be refined by one or more system requirements. Otherwise, the system
requirements specification must be revised and updated.
S3. System Structure: initial

What is it?
After the system requirements specification is completed, you can start building the solution architecture of the system
under design. Usually it starts with capturing the HLSA of the system. The HLSA model specifies all the subsystems of the
system under design in a single-level hierarchy. The HLSA model also specifies interfaces, to determine how these sub-
systems inter-operate with one another and integrate into the whole. Subsystems of the solution domain may differ from
the subsystems identified in the problem domain. This happens quite often, as the problem domain definition is not as
precise as the solution architecture. For the purpose of tracing from the subsystems of the solution architecture to the
subsystems of the logical architecture in the problem domain model, cross-cutting relationships can be established. Here
the first phase of modeling in the S3 cell ends.
Defining the subsystems in the HLSA model helps to identify work packages and allocate them to separate engineering
teams. Every team develops one or more solution architectures for the allocated subsystem. It may happen that they
work in parallel. Modeling of the solution architecture of a single subsystem is described in the SS3 and SS2 cells.
After the engineering teams are done with the solution architectures of subsystems, the systems engineer can integrate
them into a single model. As a matter of fact, more than one solution can be proposed; therefore, the systems engineer
performs a trade-off study to pick a preferred one of each subsystem and build the integrated solution architecture of the
whole system. This is the second phase of modeling in the S3 cell.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, the owner of the HLSA model is the systems engineer (also known
as the systems architect), the head of the Architecture Team. Systems engineer is the one, who has “a big picture view” of
the system under design and is responsible for the smooth integration of the subsystems into the whole.
How to model?
As was already mentioned, the HLSA is a single-level hierarchy that captures the system under design, its subsystems at
one level down, and the interfaces to determine how these subsystems inter-operate. The HLSA model can be created and
displayed in SysML block definition diagram . Subsystems can be captured as blocks, and interfaces as proxy ports typed
appropriate interface blocks.
In the following figure you can see a sample HLSA model of the Vehicle Climate Control System (VCCS) displaying the
blocks of subsystems: Cooling, Heating, Control, Sensors, and UI. It also displays the interfaces of the Cooling System.
Though interfaces of other subsystems are not displayed, we assume they are defined as well.
What’s next?
• Having logical subsystems, you can start working on their solution architecture models; therefore, it’s time to move
to the SS3 cell.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Organizing the model for S3 initial
The HLSA model can be captured in the solution domain model you created in step 1 of the S1 initial phase tutorial. To get
ready for building the HLSA model, you need to establish an appropriate structure of the model beforehand. Following
the design of the MagicGrid framework, model artifacts that capture the HLSA of the system should be stored under the
structure of packages displayed in the following figure.
To organize the model for S3
1. Open the solution domain model (the VehicleCCS_Solution .mdzip file) you created in step 1 of the S1 initial phase
tutorial, if not opened yet.
2. Right-click the 2 Solution Domain package and select Create Element.
4. Type 3 System Structure to specify the name of the new package and press Enter.
For the purpose of keeping the inner structure of the 3 System Structure package well-organized, you need to create a few
more packages. These are:
• 1 Interfaces
• 2 Exchange Items
• 3 Subsystems
Step 2 . Creating a bdd for capturing HLSA

To get ready for capturing the High-Level Solution Architecture of the VCCS, you need to create a bdd first.
To create a bdd for capturing the HLSA of the VCCS
1. Right-click the 3 System Structure package and select Create Diagram.
2. In the search box, type bdd, the acronym for SysML block definition diagram, and then press Enter. The diagram is
created.
3. Type High-Level Solution Architecture to specify the name of the new diagram and press Enter again.
Step 3 . Capturing subsystems at HLSA

Let’s say the system requirements specification reveals that the VCCS consists of:
• Cooling System
• Heating System
• Control System
• Sensors System
• UI System
Subsystems can be captured as blocks in the bdd you created in the previous step. As was already mentioned, the HLSA is
a single-level hierarchy. The detailed design of each subsystem should be subsequently performed by separate engineer-
ing teams in isolated models (files).
To capture subsystems of the system under design at HLSA
1. Open the High-Level Solution Architecture diagram, if not opened yet.
2. Capture the system under design:

a. Click the Block button on the diagram palette and then click on the diagram pane.
b. Type VCCS to name the block and press Enter.
3. Capture the subsystems:

a. Click the Direct Composition button on the smart manipulator toolbar of the VCCS block and then click an
empty place on the diagram pane.
b. Type Cooling System to name the block and press Enter.
c. Repeat steps 3.a and 3.b to capture other subsystems from the list above.
4. On the diagram toolbar, click the Quick Diagram Layout button .
5. In the Model Browser, select all the blocks of subsystems and drag them to the 3 Subsystems package you created in
step 1 of the S3 initial phase tutorial. The blocks are moved to the 3 Subsystems package.
Step 4 . Establishing traceability to W3

Traceability relationships enable you to specify what subsystems from the logical architecture (problem domain) deter-
mine the creation of what subsystems at HLSA. We use the «abstraction» relationships to trace from the solution domain
to the problem domain in this case.
To get ready for establishing these relationships, first of all you need to create a separate bdd and display structure blocks
from both domains on its pane. The diagram should be stored under the 3 System Structure package and named, for ex-
ample, HLSA to Logical Architecture. Let’s assume that you’ve already created that bdd on your own. Before establishing
the cross-cutting relationships, you should display the blocks you need to link on the diagram pane.
To display the blocks on the HLSA to Logical Architecture diagram
1. In the Model Browser, expand the contents of packages in the following sequence: 1 Problem Domain > 2 White Box >
3 Logical Architecture > 2 Logical Subsystems.
2. Select the Climate Control Unit block within the 3 Logical Architecture package and all the blocks inside the 2 Logical
Subsystems package:
a. Click the Control System block (the first item within the 2 Logical Subsystems package).
b. Press Shift and click the UI System block (the last item within the 2 Logical Subsystems package).
c. Press Ctrl and click the Climate Control Unit block.
3. Drag the selection to the diagram pane. The shapes of the selected blocks are displayed on the diagram.
4. Right-click these shapes and select Display > Display Paths.
5. Confirm that you want to display paths between selected symbols only. The paths of direct composition relation-
ships are displayed between the shapes.
6. Click an empty space on the diagram pane to unselect the shapes.

7. On the diagram toolbar, click the Quick Diagram Layout button .
8. In the Model Browser, select all the blocks within the 3 Subsystems package (you may need to expand the contents of
the following packages: 2 Solution Domain > 3 System Structure > 3 Subsystems).
9. Perform steps 3 to 6 to display the shapes of the selected blocks and paths among them on the diagram.
10. Arrange the shapes so that the layout of the diagram is similar to the one in the following figure.
i You can do this manually or by using the adjustment commands. These commands are available after you
click the arrow near the Adjust button on the diagram toolbar.
i You can make your diagram more informative by adding a

• Diagram legend, which helps to visually distinguish concepts from different domains.
• Horizontal separator, which helps to separate these domains.
For more information about how to use these features, see the latest documentation of the modeling tool.
Now you’re ready to establish the abstraction relationships. Let’s start by creating one between the two blocks capturing
the Control System.
To specify the abstraction relationship
1. Click the Abstraction button on the diagram palette.

2. Select the shape of the Cooling System block from the solution domain (the bluish one) and then click the one of the
Cooling System block from the problem domain (the light orange one). The «abstraction» relationship is established
between these two blocks.
After all abstraction relationships are created, your HLSA to Logical Architecture diagram should be very much like the
one in the following figure. Note that the Control System has been separated into two in the solution domain: the Sensors
System and the Control System. That’s why blocks capturing these subsystems are related to the same subsystem from
the problem domain model.
Step 5 . Capturing interfaces at HLSA

Let’s say the system requirements specification determines the following interfaces of the Cooling System:
• iElectricity
• iMechanical Power
• iControl
• iHeat
• iMoisture
These interfaces are derived from the logical interfaces of the appropriate functional subsystem (see W3). Interfaces at
HLSA are more precise, compared to the logical interfaces determined in step 3 of the W3 tutorial. Interfaces are captured
as interface blocks that type proxy ports on blocks which capture subsystems. The i prefix in the name of the interface
block, which captures a single interface, enables you to easily distinguish interface blocks, which capture interfaces, from
other types of blocks in the model.
To determine whether the interface accepts inputs to the subsystem or produces outputs from it, you should specify at
least one flow property for that interface.
To capture the interfaces of the Cooling System

1. Make sure the Type Selection Mode is enabled in the High-Level Solution Architecture diagram. Otherwise, creation of
a proxy port doesn’t trigger creation of the interface block to type that proxy port.
2. Select the shape of the Cooling System block and on its smart manipulator, click the Proxy Port (see the following
figure). A new proxy port appears on the border of the block shape.
i Proxy ports are by default named p1, p2, . . ., pn. It’s not necessary to rename them, since they don’t convey any
semantics in this level of abstraction.
3. Type iElectricity next to the colon (“:”) beside the shape of the proxy port and press Enter.
i You can do this only if the Type Selection Mode is enabled in the diagram (see step 1).
A new interface block to type the proxy port is created and displayed in the Model Browser, within the 3 Subsystems pack-
age, where the Cooling System block is stored.
4. Select the iElectricity interface block in the Model Browser and drag it onto the diagram pane. A shape of the interface
block appears on the diagram.
5. Click the Create Element button on that shape and select Flow Property.
6. Directly on the shape of the interface block, do the following:
a. Remove the out part of the flow property direction indicator to specify that the direction of the flow property is in.
b. Type DC (D for Direct and C for Current) to specify the name of that flow property.
c. Type :Electricity to specify the type of flow property and press Enter.
As a result, an arrow pointing to the inside of the Cooling System block appears on the shape of the proxy port (see the
following figure). This indicates that the proxy port is typed by the interface block that takes inputs only.
7. Repeat steps 2 to 6 to specify other interfaces. Learn the interface blocks and flow properties you need to create from
the following figure.
i As you can see, port names are hidden on the diagram. As these names convey no important information,
hiding them is a good practice to enhance the diagram’s readability. To hide the name of the port, right-click
its shape on the diagram pane and unselect the Show Name check box. If you want to set this option for all
ports at once, select the shape of any port while holding down the Alt key and proceed with the same actions
as for a single port.
i As you can see, there are two proxy ports typed by the iHeat interface block. The difference between them is that
the one on the left border of the Cooling System block is for getting the hot air to the inside of the Cooling System,
and the one on the right border of that block is for dismissing the hot air to the outside of the Cooling System and
even the vehicle. The latter is conjugated. To make the proxy port conjugated, right-click it and select Is Conju-
gated.
8. In the Model Browser, under the 3 Subsystems package, select all the interface blocks and drag them to the 1 Inter-
faces package you created in step 1 of the S3 initial phase tutorial. The interface blocks are moved to the 1 Interfaces
package (see the figure in step 9).
9. In the Model Browser, under the 1 Interfaces package, select all the signals that type the flow properties of the inter-
face blocks and drag them to the 2 Exchange Items package you created in step 1 of the S3 initial phase tutorial. The
signals are moved to the 2 Exchange Items package.
i Note that all exchange items, except the Control signal, have been refactored to blocks. The modeling tool
creates signals by default, if you type the flow properties in the above described way, though the nature
of some exchange items implies to define them as blocks. This can be easily fixed by refactoring signals to
blocks. Just select all the signals you want to refactor, right-click the selection, and choose Refactor > Con-
vert To > Block.
In the real-world case, the systems engineer must specify interfaces of other subsystems as well. He/she might also create
an ibd to specify not only interfaces, but also how these subsystems interoperate with each other.
SS3. Subsystem Structure

What is it?
Once the systems engineer identifies subsystems of the system under design (in the HLSA model) and allocates them to
separate engineering teams, these teams can start working on the solution architecture of each subsystem. Building the
solution architecture of a subsystem can start by defining the internal structure of the subsystem and specifying how its
parts interoperate together, and interact with the outside of the subsystem.
To provide the solution architecture of the subsystem, the responsible engineering team needs to analyze the system
requirements for that particular subsystem and the problem domain model. If there is a need, the parts of the subsystem
structure can be decomposed as well. This would be the concern of the C3 cell.
Note that the following material focuses on building the structural model of the Cooling System, only one of the subsys-
tems of the Vehicle Climate Control System. The material also reveals how to integrate the solution into the overall solu-
tion of the system under design (see S3.final), although you should imagine that while you build the solution architecture
for the Cooling System, other engineers / engineering teams work in parallel to build the structural models of the Heating
System, Control System, Sensors System, and UI System.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, the structure of the subsystem under design is built by the mem-
bers of the Architecture Team. While the systems engineer (also known as the systems architect), the head of this team,
has “a big picture view” of the system under design, other members of the Architecture Team (alone or in groups, also
known as engineering groups) take responsibility for building the structures of the different subsystems under design.
How to model?
In the modeling tool, the parts of the subsystem can be defined by using the infrastructure of the SysML block definition
diagram. Subsystems and components of the subsystem under design can be captured as blocks, and interfaces as inter-
face blocks. For specifying how the parts of the subsystem under design interoperate together and with the outside of the
subsystem, as well as what material they exchange, the infrastructure of the SysML internal block diagram can be used.
The internal structure and interactions between different parts of the Cooling System in the form of the SysML internal
block diagram is displayed in the following figure.
What’s next?
• Once you’re done with the structure of the subsystem under design, you can start thinking of and modeling the be-
havior of that subsystem. Therefore, you can move to the S2/SS2 cell.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Creating and organizing a model for SS3
In this step, we create a separate model for the Cooling System, one of the subsystems of the VCCS defined in the HLSA
model. In the real-world case, this model should be given to the engineering team appointed to build a solution architec-
ture of the Cooling System (while the solution architectures of the other subsystems of the VCCS should be developed in
parallel by other engineering teams).
The solution domain model of the VCCS should be used in the solution domain model of the Cooling System. This is nec-
essary, because the imaginary engineering group must know the system requirements of the VCCS and the interfaces of
the Cooling System defined in the HLSA model (see step 5 of the S3 initial phase tutorial) in order to follow them.
To create and organize the model for SS3
1. Start sharing the solution domain model.
i For more information on this topic and the topics mentioned in steps 2 and 3, refer to the latest documenta-
2. Create a new model (file). It can be named Cooling System_Solution .mdzip. This is the solution domain model of the
Cooling System.
3. Use the solution domain model of the whole system under design as read-only in the solution domain model of the
Cooling System. The problem domain model is automatically used as well.
i Names in grey indicate that elements cannot be modified. This is because the problem domain model is used
in the solution domain model as read-only.
6. Type 2 .1 Cooling System Solution Domain to specify the name of the new package and press Enter (see the figure in
step 9).
i Packages of other subsystems under design, like the Heating System and Sensors System to name a few,
should include 2.2, 2.3, and so on in their names.
7. Right-click the 2 .1 Cooling System Solution Domain package and select Create Element.
8. Repeat step 5.
For the purpose of keeping the inner structure of the 3 System Structure package well-organized, you need to create a few
more packages. These are:
• 1 Interfaces
• 2 Exchange Items
• 3 Subsystems
Step 2 . Getting ready for modeling the structure of the Cooling System
Once the model for capturing the solution architecture of the Cooling System is created, there is one more thing to do
before giving the model to the appointed engineering team. You, as the systems engineer, must establish the inheritance
between two concepts: the Cooling System block in the HLSA model (as the super-type) and the one representing the
same subsystem in the solution domain model of that subsystem (as the sub-type). The inheritance enables the systems
engineering team to learn all the interfaces of the subsystem under design determined by the systems engineer in the
HLSA model.
The inheritance is captured in the model as the generalization relationship between the abovementioned blocks. It can
be simply created by utilizing the infrastructure of a bdd. The bdd can be created under the 3 System Structure package
within the solution domain model of the Cooling System (created in step 1 of the SS3 initial phase tutorial).
To get ready for modeling the structure of the Cooling System
1. Create the bdd:
a. Right-click the 3 System Structure package and select Create Diagram.
b. In the search box, type bdd, the acronym for SysML block definition diagram, and then press Enter. The diagram
is created.
c. Type Cooling System Structure to specify the name of the new diagram and press Enter again.
2. Create the block of the subsystem under design:
a. Click the Block button on the diagram palette and then click on the diagram pane.
b. Type Cooling System Design to name the block and press Enter.
3. Display the Cooling System block from the HLSA model on the diagram:
a. Select the Cooling System block in the Model Browser.
b. Drag the selection to the diagram pane. The shape of the Cooling System block is created on the diagram.
4. Draw a generalization between the Cooling System block (super-type) and the Cooling System Design block (sub-type):
a. Click the Generalization button on the diagram palette.
b. Select the shape of the Cooling System Design block.

c. Select the shape of the Cooling System block.
5. Display the inherited interfaces of the Cooling System Design block on its shape:
a. Select the shape of the Cooling System Design block on the diagram pane.
b. Click the Display All Ports button on its smart manipulator toolbar.
The inherited interfaces are displayed. The caret symbol (“^”) indicates them as inherited.
i As you can see, port names are hidden on the diagram. As these names convey no important information, hiding
them is a good practice to enhance the diagram’s readability. To hide the name of the port, right-click its shape
on the diagram pane and unselect the Show Name check box. If you want to set this option for all ports
Step 3 . Capturing components of the Cooling System

Let’s say the engineering team came to the decision that the Cooling System should be composed of:
• Evaporator System
• Compressor System
• Condenser
• Receiver Dryer
Note that some components of the Cooling System have the keyword System in their names. This means they have their
own components that can be specified in the C3 cell. All the items can be captured using either bdd or ibd, though we
use the bdd Cooling System Structure created in step 2 of the SS3 tutorial. The ibd is useful, when you need to represent
interactions between the components.
To capture the components of the Cooling System
1. Open the bdd Cooling System Structure, created in step 2 of the SS3 tutorial, if not opened yet.
2. Select the Cooling System Design block, click the Directed Composition button on its smart manipulator toolbar
(see the following figure), and then click a free space on the diagram pane.
Another block is created in the Model Browser and its shape is selected on the diagram pane.
3. Type Evaporator System directly on the selected shape to specify the name of the appropriate component of the
Cooling System, and press Enter.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 as many times as you need to create the Compressor System, Condenser, and Receiver Dryer
blocks.
5. In the Model Browser, select all the blocks o f subsystems/components and drag them to the 3 Subsystems package
you created in step 1 of the S33 tutorial. The blocks are moved to the 3 Subsystems package.
Note that a directed composition represents the usage of one block in another. The usage is captured in the model as a
part property of the enclosing block. For example, the Cooling System Design block is an enclosing block which currently
has four part properties, each representing a usage of a single block, such as Condenser or Evaporator System. Just like in
the logical architecture model (see step 6 of the W3 tutorial), these part properties don’t need names. Part properties can
have names, though, when there is a need to convey how the component is used in the subsystem context. For example,
when you want to specify that the vehicle has one front-left wheel and one front-right wheel, you need to define the Front
Wheel block in your model and then create two part properties typed by that block in the vehicle context. One part prop-
erty can be named left and the other right.
Step 4 . Creating an ibd for specifying interactions

While a bdd works best to capture the components, an ibd is helpful when you need to specify interactions between these
components. That’s why we need to create an ibd for the Cooling System Design block. To get started specifying the inter-
actions, you need to represent all proxy ports and directly used components of the Cooling System in that diagram. They
all have been captured using the bdd Cooling System Structure.
To create an ibd for specifying interactions of the Cooling System
1. In the bdd Cooling System Structure, select the Cooling System Design block and click the SysML Internal Block Dia-
gram button on its smart manipulator toolbar.
The ibd is created and the Display Parts/Ports dialog opens on the top of it.
2. Make sure all the items (both proxy ports and part properties!) are selected and click OK. The dialog is closed, and
you can see:
• The ibd with its frame representing the boundaries of the Cooling System.
• Proxy ports representing the interfaces of the Cooling System.
• Part properties representing all the direct components of the Cooling System.
3. In the Model Browser, where the newly created diagram is automatically selected in the edit mode, type Cooling Sys-
tem Components to specify its name and press Enter again.
Step 5 . Specifying interactions between the Cooling System and the outside
In this step, we focus on specifying interactions between subsystems/components of the Cooling System and the outside
of it; that is, other subsystems of the VCCS or even other systems of the vehicle. Interactions can be specified as connec-
tors established via compatible proxy ports. Information, resources, messages, and so forth exchanged via the connectors
can be specified as items flowing over these connectors.
Let’s say the engineering team identified the following interactions:
• Compressor System consumes electricity and mechanical power (from other systems of the entire vehicle, like gen-
erator and engine) and accepts control signals (from the Control System of the Vehicle Climate Control System)
• Evaporator System takes the heat from the vehicle cabin (actually, by cooling down the air)
• Condenser System provides the heat to the outside of the vehicle (actually, by heating up the air)
• Receiver Dryer removes from the Cooling System the moisture separated from the Freon
To specify that the Compressor System consumes electricity from outside the Cooling System
1. Select the p2 proxy port (typed by the iElectricity interface block) on the diagram frame and click the Connector but-
ton on its smart manipulator toolbar.
2. Click the shape of the part property typed by the Compressor System block.
3. Select New Proxy Port. A compatible proxy port is created for the part property, and the connector is established
4. In the Model Browser, expand the contents of the following read-only packages: 2 Solution Domain > 3 System Struc-
ture > 2 Exchange Items.
5. Select the Electricity block (see the following figure) and drag it to the newly created connector on the open diagram
pane.
i According to SysML, the element you want to specify as the item flowing via the connector must be the type of
at least one of the flow properties owned by the interface block that types the connected proxy ports.
6. Don’t make any changes in the open dialog; click OK. The Electricity block is specified as the item flowing over the
newly created connector.
In the same way, specify the rest of the previously described interactions. Once you’re done, your ibd should be similar to
the one in the following figure.
i As you can see, port names are hidden on the diagram. As these names convey no important information, hiding
them is a good practice to enhance the diagram’s readability. To hide the name of the port, right-click its shape on
the diagram pane and unselect the Show Name check box. If you want to set this option for all ports at once, se-
lect the shape of any port while holding down the Alt key and proceed with the same actions as for a single port.
Step 6 . Specifying interactions within the Cooling System

In this step, we proceed with specifying interactions – this time, between different components of the Cooling System.
As in the previous step, interactions can be specified as connectors established via compatible proxy ports. Information,
resources, and so forth exchanged via the connectors can be specified as item flows.
Let’s say the engineering team identified the following interactions:
• Compressor System takes low pressure Freon from the Evaporator System
• Compressor System transforms Freon from low pressure to high pressure gas (almost liquid)
• Condenser takes the high pressure Freon from the Compressor System and provides it to the Evaporator System,
through the Receiver Dryer
• Evaporator System transforms the Freon from high pressure to low pressure gas and provides it to the Compressor
System
The list above determines one more interface of the Cooling System. It is for exchanging Freon or, generally speaking,
Refrigerant. It can be captured in the model as a new interface block.
To capture the interface block for exchanging Refrigerant
1. Right-click the 1 Interfaces package that you created in step 1 of the SS3 tutorial and select Create Element.
2. In the search box, type ib, where i stands for interface and b for block, and press Enter.
3. Type iRefrigerant to specify the name of the new interface block and press Enter.
4. Right-click the interface block and select Create Element.
5. In the search box, type fp, where f stands for flow and p for property, and press Enter.
6. Leave inout, the default direction of the flow property, as it is; type Refrigerant Flow:Freon to specify its name and
type, and then press Enter. The flow property is created together with the Freon signal as its type.
As you can see, Freon was automatically captured in the model as a signal, which is not correct, as the nature of Freon
implies that it should be defined as a block. This can be easily fixed by refactoring the Freon signal to a block.
To refactor the Freon signal to a block
1. In the Model Browser, right-click the Freon signal and select Refactor > Convert To > Block.
2. Click OK to remove all the properties that are incompatible between these two types.
The next thing you need for specifying the above described interactions is the relevant exchange items. Since Freon can
be either low pressure gas or high pressure gas, you need to define both of these conditions in your model. Each condition
can be captured as a sub-type of the Freon block. For creating sub-types, the infrastructure of the bdd can be used. Also
note that the Freon block and both of its subtypes should be stored in the 2 Exchange Items package.
To capture the conditions of Freon
1. In the Model Browser, select the Freon block and drag it to the 2 Exchange Items package that you created in step 1 of
the SS3 tutorial. The Freon block is moved to that package.
2. Right-click the 2 Exchange Items package and select Create Diagram.
3. In the search box, type bdd, the acronym for SysML block definition diagram, and then press Enter. The diagram is
created.
4. Type Freon Conditions to specify the diagram name and press Enter again.
5. Drag the Freon block to the diagram pane. The shape of the Freon block is created on the diagram.
6. Click the Generalization button on its smart manipulator toolbar.
7. Click an empty place on the diagram pane.
8. Type Low Pressure Freon directly on the new shape to name the block and press Enter.
9. Select the Freon block again and follow steps 6 to 8 to create the High Pressure Freon block.
Now you’re ready to specify the interactions between the components of the Cooling System (identified at the beginning
of this step).
To specify that the Compressor System takes low pressure Freon from the Evaporator System
1. Make sure the Type Selection Mode is enabled in the Cooling System Components diagram. Otherwise, creation of a
proxy port doesn’t trigger selection of the interface block to type that proxy port.
2. Select the shape of the part property typed by the Evaporator System block and click the Proxy Port button on its
smart manipulator toolbar. A new proxy port appears on the border of the part property shape.
3. Type ir to find the iRefrigerant interface block in the Select Type list, press the Down Arrow key to select it, and then
press Enter.
4. Click the Connector button on the smart manipulator toolbar of the newly created proxy port.
5. Click the shape of the part property typed by the Compressor System block.
6. Select New Proxy Port. A compatible proxy port is created for that part property, and the connector between the
couple of part properties is established.
7. In the Model Browser, expand the contents of the 2 Exchange Items package (if it is not expanded yet), select the Low
Pressure Freon block, and drag it to the newly created connector.
i According to SysML, the element you want to specify as the item flowing via the connector must be the type
of at least one of the flow properties owned by the interface block that types the connected proxy ports. This
also works with sub-types. That’s why not only the Freon block, but any of its types (in this case, the Low Pres-
sure Freon block), can be assigned to the connector.
8. Don’t make any changes in the open dialog; click OK. The Low Pressure Freon block is specified as the item flowing
via the newly created connector.
In the same way, specify the rest of the previously described interactions. Once you’re done, your ibd should be similar to
the one in the following figure.
S2/SS2. System/Subsystem Behavior

What is it?
The behavior of the system under design integrates the behavior of its subsystems, identified in the HLSA model (see
S3.initial). So first of all, the behavior of the subsystems under design must be specified. Separate engineering teams,
each responsible for the solution architecture of a single subsystem, work in parallel for this purpose. Behavior models
can be relatively abstract and should satisfy functional system requirements (see S1.initial). Using the capabilities of the
modeling tool, these models can be executed against test cases to give the verdict on whether these functional require-
ments are satisfied or not.
Afterwards, the behavior models of all the subsystems under design are integrated into a single one – the behavior model
of the entire system. The main purpose of the behavior model integration is to check how these subsystems communi-
cate with each other by sending signals to one another via the compatible ports defined in S3. Therefore, the main task
of the systems engineer is to test whether the signal sent from one subsystem can be accepted by another. Again, he/she
can utilize the simulation capability of the modeling tool for this purpose.
Note that the following material focuses on building the behavioral model of the Cooling System, only one of the sub-
systems of the Vehicle Climate Control System. However, you should image that while you build the behavioral models
for the Cooling System, other engineers / engineering teams work in parallel to build the solution architectures of the
Heating System, Control System, Sensors System, and UI System.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, the behavior of the system/subsystem under design is produced
by the Architecture Team. Engineering teams build isolated behavioral models of each subsystem under design. The sys-
tems engineer afterwards integrates them into the whole.
How to model?
The behavior model of the system or subsystem under design can be captured by utilizing the infrastructure of the SysML
state machine and activity or sequence diagrams in combination. The former allows for capturing states of the subsys-
tem under design and transitions between them in response to event occurrences over time. The latter should be used to
specify the entry, do, and exit behaviors of these states or transition effects.
The following figure displays the SysML state machine diagram, identifying the main states of the Cooling System. Transi-
tions between states can be triggered by various types of events. As you can see, it can be a signal event, such as Turn On
between the Off and On states, or a time event, such as after (60s) between the Idling and Operating states.
States can have one or more internal behaviors that are specified in the form of the SysML activity diagram created some-
where in the model. As you can see, the Initializing state has the Initializing System Components activity specified as the
do behavior. The Initializing System Components activity diagram is displayed as follows.
Having the behavior models of each subsystem under design, you, as the systems engineer, can create a SysML activity
diagram to specify the signal sent from the Cooling System to, for example, Control System via compatible ports. The send
signal action should specify the port that sends the signal, not the one that accepts it.
What’s next
• Once you have subsystems behavior, you can start integrating the solution architectures of all subsystems into the
whole; that is, move to S3.final.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Organizing the model for SS2
The states of the Cooling System can be captured in the solution domain model of that subsystem, the one you created in
step 1 of the SS3 tutorial. According to SysML, states can only be stored under the block whose behavior they represent.
In this case, it is the Cooling System Design block. Therefore, you don’t need to create any additional packages for storing
states in the model. They should appear directly under the Cooling System Design block, which is stored within the 3 Sys-
tem Structure package.
However, if you need to specify some behavior that the Cooling System performs while being in one or another state or in
transition from one state to another, you should specify that behavior in a separate package. Following the design of the
MagicGrid framework, this package should be stored under the structure of packages displayed in the following figure.
To organize the model for SS2
1. Open the solution domain model of the Cooling System (the Cooling System_Solution .mdzip file) you created in step
1 of the SS3 tutorial, if not opened yet.
2. Right-click the 2 .1 Cooling System Solution Domain package and select Create Element.
4. Type 2 System Behavior to specify the name of the new package and press Enter.
Step 2 . Creating a diagram for capturing Cooling System states

The SysML state machine diagram that describes the states of the Cooling System should be created directly under the
block which captures that subsystem under design.
To create a SysML state machine diagram for capturing the Cooling System states
1. Open the solution domain model of the Cooling System you created in step 1 of the SS3 tutorial, if not opened yet.
2. In the Model Browser, select the Cooling System Design block. For this, use the quick find capability:
b. Type cooling s.
c. When you see the Cooling System Design block selected in the search results list below, press Enter. The Cooling
System Design block is selected in the Model Browser.
3. Create the SysML state machine for the Cooling System Design block:
a. Right-click the Cooling System Design block and select Create Diagram.
b. In the search box, type smd, the acronym for the SysML state machine diagram, and then press Enter. The dia-
gram is created with the initial state and an unnamed one to jump-start the states definition.
c. Type Cooling System States to specify the name of the new diagram and press Enter again.
Step 3 . Capturing states of the Cooling System

Let’s say the engineering team working on the solution architecture of the Cooling System has identified the following set
of states in which the Cooling System can exist during the VCCS operation:
• Off
• On:
• Initializing
• Diagnosing
• Operating
• Idling
The following rules describe transitions between those states:
• The first state of the subsystem is Off.

• The subsystem can move from the Off state to the On state and back.
• Being in the On state, the subsystem goes to the Initializing state first.
• From the Initializing state, the subsystem can move either to the Operating state or to the Diagnosing state.
• From the Operating state, the subsystem can move to the Idling state and back.
• From the Diagnosing state, the subsystem can switch either to the Operating state or to the Off state.
Event occurrences that trigger transitions between states are discussed later in this tutorial. This step mainly focuses on
creating states and transitions between them.
To specify states of the Cooling System
1. Open the Cooling System States diagram, if not opened yet. The diagram already contains the initial state and an
unnamed state.
2. Select the shape of the unnamed state and then click somewhere in the middle of that shape. The shape switches to
the name edit mode.
3. Type Off to specify the name and press Enter.
4. Select the shape of the Off state and click the Transition button on its smart manipulator toolbar.
5. Click an empty place on the diagram pane. Another state is created.
6. Type On directly on the shape of that state and press Enter.
7. Drag the corner of the newly created shape to enlarge it. This is necessary for creating internal states within it.
8. Click the Initial button on the diagram palette and move the mouse over the shape of the On state.
9. When you see the blue border around the shape of the On state, click it. The initial state is created within the shape
of the On state, and the On state automatically becomes composite.
10. Select the shape of the initial state and click the Transition button on its smart manipulator toolbar.
11. Right-click an empty place on the shape of the composite state and select State. Another internal state of that com-
posite state is created.
12. Type Initializing directly on the shape of that state and press Enter.
13. Create the rest of the states from the list above following the given rules of transition. When you’re done, your state
machine diagram should be very similar to the one in the figure below.
Step 4 . Specifying event occurrences on transitions

Transitions between states can be triggered by various types of events, such as time, change, and signal events, to name
a few. The majority of the transitions between states of the Cooling System are triggered by signal events. For example,
the Cooling System moves from the Off to the On state after it receives the Turn On signal; it moves back to the Off state
after the Turn Off signal is received.
To specify signal events on transitions between the On and Off states of the Cooling System
1. Select the transition from the On to Off state.
2. Type Turn On directly on the path and press Enter. The Turn On signal is created in the Model Browser and automati-
cally assigned as the signal event to the transition from the Off state to the On state.
3. Select the transition from the Off to On state.

4. Type Turn Off directly on the path and press Enter. The Turn Off signal is created in the Model Browser and automati-
cally assigned as the signal event to the transition from the On state to the Off state.
The Turn On and Turn Off signals, as well as subsequently created signals (see the figure below), should be stored in a
separate package. This is discussed later in this tutorial.
Transition from the Idling state to the Operating state is triggered by another type of event – a relative time event. It allows the
modeler to specify that after 60 seconds of being in the Idling state, the Cooling System moves back to the Operating state.
To specify the time event in transition between the Idling and Operating state
1. Select the transition from the Idling to Operating state.
2. Type after (60s) directly on the path and press Enter. The relative time event is created on the transition between the
states.
Step 5 . Organizing signals into package

You have already created a lot of signals. It’s now time to move them into a separate package to keep your model
well-organized.
All the signals that trigger the transitions of the Cooling System states are by default placed under the Cooling System
States state machine. Like all definitions of the items to exchange, these signals should be moved to the 2 Exchange Items
package you have created in step 1 of the SS3 tutorial. Signals can be moved there simply by dragging them onto that
package in the Model Browser.
Step 6 . Specifying the entry, do, or exit behavior of the state

The system or subsystem under design can perform one or more behaviors related to some of its states. Let’s say the Cool-
ing System, when in the Initializing state, invokes the Compressor System to start, and waits 60 seconds for the response
to the invocation signal. If the response is received, the Init OK signal (see step 3 of this tutorial) is sent to the Cooling Sys-
tem. Otherwise, the Init NOT OK signal (see step 3 of this tutorial) is sent. This kind of behavior can be captured as SysML
activity and stored in the solution domain model of the Cooling System, under the 3 System Behavior package you have
created in step 1 of this tutorial.
There is no need to create the SysML activity and then the diagram. They both appear in the model, after you select to
create the SysML activity diagram.
To create a SysML activity diagram
1. Right-click the 2 System Behavior package and select Create Diagram.
2. In the search box, type ad, the acronym for the SysML activity diagram, and then press Enter. A SysML activity diagram
is created. It is owned by the SysML activity.
3. Type Initializing System Components to specify the name of the new diagram and press Enter again. The same name
is given to the SysML activity, which owns that diagram.
To specify the Initializing System Components activity
2. Click the Send Signal Action button on the diagram palette and then click an empty place on the diagram pane
again. The send signal action is created and displayed on the diagram.
3. Type Initialize Compressor System directly on the shape of the created action and press Enter. The new signal with the
same name is created in the model, directly under the 3 System Behavior package.
i Recalling what you’ve learned in step 5 of this tutorial, keep in mind that the new signal should also be moved
to the 2 Exchange Items package. You can do this immediately or as soon as the procedure is finished.
4. Select the shape of the initial node, click the Control Flow button on its smart manipulator toolbar, and then se-
lect the shape of the Initialize Compressor System send signal action. The control flow is established between the
initial node and that send signal action.
5. Select the shape of the Initialize Compressor System send signal action, click the Control Flow button on its smart
manipulator toolbar, then right-click an empty place on the diagram pane and select Fork Horizontal. The horizontal
fork is created and displayed on the diagram pane.
6. Click the Time Event button on the diagram palette and then click an empty place on the diagram pane again. The
time event action is created and displayed on the diagram.
7. Type 60s directly on the shape of the newly created time event action and press Enter.
8. Convert the trigger of the time event action from absolute to relative:
a. Double-click the shape of the time event action to open its Specification.
b. Find the Is Relative property and set its value to true.
c. Close the dialog. The indicator of the trigger changes from at to after.
9. Click the Accept Event Action button on the diagram palette and then click an empty place on the diagram pane
again. The accept event action is created and displayed on the diagram.
10. Create a signal for the newly created accept event action:
a. In the Model Browser, right-click the 2 Exchange Items package (see step 4 of this tutorial) and select Create
Element.
b. In the search box, type si, the first two letters of the element type Signal, and press Enter.
c. Type Compressor System Started to specify the name of the new signal and press Enter.
d. Drag the signal to the shape of the accept event action. The action is named after the signal.
11. Create a send signal action for sending the Init OK signal:
a. In the Model Browser, under the 2 Exchange Items package (see step 4 of this tutorial), select the Init OK signal.
b. Drag the signal to the diagram pane. The shape of the new action with the signal’s name is created on the diagram
pane.
12. Create a send signal action for sending the Init NOT OK signal the same way as described in step 11.
13. Click the Activity Final button on the diagram palette and then click an empty place on the diagram pane. The final
14. Create the rest of the control flows you see in the following figure.
Once the Initializing System Components activity is specified, it can be assigned to the Initializing state as its do behavior.
To set the Initializing System Components activity as the do behavior of the Initializing state of the Cooling System
1. Open the Cooling System States diagram.
2. In the Model Browser, select the Initializing System Components activity and drag it to the shape of the Initializing
state.
3. Click the shape as soon as you see the blue border around the shape.
4. Select Do Activity as it is shown in the following figure. The do behavior is set.

The Initializing state with the SysML activity assigned as its do behavior is displayed in the following figure. Now you may
consider the behavior of the Cooling System specified and move on to integrating the solution domain model of the Cool-
ing System into the solution domain model of the whole system.
S3. System Structure: final

What is it?
After the engineering teams are done with the solution architectures of the subsystems, the systems engineer can inte-
grate them into a single model. As a matter of fact, more than one solution can be proposed; therefore the systems engi-
neer performs a trade-off study to pick a preferred one of each subsystem and build the integrated solution architecture
of the whole system.
The main purpose of the structure design integration is to verify whether subsystems of the system under design can
successfully communicate with each other. Therefore the main task of the systems engineer is to check whether interfac-
es of separate subsystems are compatible. If the systems engineer detects one or more incompatible interfaces, he/she
requests the responsible engineering team to review and update their model appropriately. After the engineering teams
complete the request, the systems engineer makes another attempt to integrate the models.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, the person responsible for the integration of the subsystems into
the whole is the systems engineer, the head of the Architecture Team.
How to model?
For the structure integration and review, we recommend utilizing one of the predefined relation maps available in your
modeling tool – the Structure Decomposition Map.
For interface compatibility visualization and verification, a SysML internal block diagram can be used.
What’s next?
• Having the integrated solution architecture model, you can specify how it satisfies the system requirements. There-
fore, you can move to S1.final.
• The integrated solution architecture model enables you to calculate MoEs of the whole system and verify them
against the system requirements (see S1.initial). Thus, you can also move to S4.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Creating and organizing a model for S3 final
Since you already have a solution architecture of the Cooling System (including the structure and behavior models), you,
in the role of the systems engineer, can integrate it into the solution architecture of the whole VCCS (together with the
solution architectures of the other subsystems simultaneously developed by the imaginary engineering teams).
For this, you must create a model (another file) that integrates the solution architectures of all the subsystems of the
VCCS, including the Cooling System and the Heating System, to name a few. In general, this model can be called the
system configuration model. Note that there can be more than one system configuration model within a single solution
domain; however, we focus on a single one.
To create a system configuration model of the VCCS
1. Start sharing the solution domain model of the Cooling System.
i • In fact, the solution domain models of all subsystems of the VCCS should be shared in this step.
• For more information on this topic and the topics mentioned in steps 2 and 3, refer to the latest documenta-
2. Create a new model (file). It can be named VehicleCCS_Configuration .mdzip. This is the configuration model of the
Vehicle Climate Control System.
3. Use the solution domain model of the Cooling System as read-only in the configuration model of the VCCS. Having
already been used in the solution domain model of the Cooling System, the problem domain model and the solution
domain model of the VCCS (HLSA model) are automatically used as well.
i Grey color element names within the used model indicate that elements cannot be modified. This is because
the external model is used in the read-only mode.
6. Type 3 VCCS Configuration to specify the name of the new package and press Enter (see the figure in step 9).
7. Right-click the 3 VCCS Configuration package and select Create Element.
8. Repeat step 5.
Step 2 . Capturing the integrated structure of the system configuration

For the structure integration and review, we recommend utilizing one of the predefined relation maps available in your
modeling tool – the structure decomposition map. It can be created in the 3 System Structure package within the VCCS
configuration model you created in the previous step.
To capture the integrated structure of the VCCS configuration with the structure of the Cooling System
1. Create a block to capture the VCCS configuration:
a. In the Model Browser, right-click the 3 System Structure package you created in step 1 of this tutorial and select
Create Element.
b. In the search box, type bl, the first two letters of the element type Block, and press Enter.
c. Type VCCS Configuration to specify the name of the new block and press Enter.
2. Create the structure decomposition map:
a. Right-click the VCCS Configuration block and select Create Diagram.
b. In the search box, type sdm, where s stands for structure, d for decomposition, and m for map, and then press
Enter. The diagram is created, and the VCCS Configuration block is set as its context.
i If you don’t see any result, click the Expert button below the search results list. The list of available dia-
grams expands in the Expert mode.
c. Type VCCS Configuration Structure to specify the name of the new diagram and press Enter again.
3. Create a part property for the VCCS Configuration block to integrate the structure model of the Cooling System into
the one of the whole system configuration:
a. Select the VCCS Configuration block on the diagram pane and click the Create Related Element button (see the
following figure). An unnamed part property is created.
b. Type :Cool, press Ctrl + Spacebar, and then select the Cooling System Design block.
i If you don’t see that block on the list, click to clear the Apply Filter check box at the bottom-left corner
of the dialog. The filter by default excludes elements that are stored in external models, and the Cooling
System Design block is apparently one of those – it comes from the solution domain model of Cooling
System.
c. Press Enter to finish. The new part property is created for the VCCS Configuration block (see the following figure).
It is typed by the Cooling System Design block, which means that the structure of the Cooling System designed by
the separate engineering team in a separate model is now integrated into the structure model of the entire VCCS.
d. Click the Suppress/Expand button on the shape of the part property typed by the Cooling System Design block to
display the deeper structure of the Cooling System.
When the engineering team responsible for another subsystem design provides the structure of that subsystem to the
systems engineer, he/she integrates it into the whole in the same way as described above. The following figure displays a
more elaborate structure model of the VCCS with the integrated structure of the Heating System.
Step 3 . Verifying interface compatibility between subsystems

The main purpose of the structure design integration is to verify whether subsystems of the system under design can suc-
cessfully communicate with each other as well as with the outside of the system. Therefore the main task of the systems
engineer is to check whether interfaces of separate subsystems are compatible.
For interface compatibility visualization and verification, a SysML internal block diagram can be used. As you can see in the
following figure (we assume that you created it on your own), the Cooling System can successfully communicate with the
Control System, another subsystem of the VCCS. In terms of SysML, the communication is established via the proxy ports
typed by the iControl interface. To check whether the Cooling System can successfully communicate with the outside of the
VCCS (this is illustrated by the connectors to the proxy ports on the diagram frame), you need to see the bigger picture; the
picture of the entire vehicle system. So far, you can only assume that the whole system of the vehicle has an engine, which
provides the mechanical power to the Cooling System, and the alternator, which provides the electricity, and so on.
Also, please note that the diagram should be updated after the integration of the rest of the subsystems of the VCCS.
S4. System Parameters

What is it?
System parameters can be specified as soon as the system structure is captured in the model. System parameters capture
quantitative characteristics of the system under design. They satisfy non-functional system requirements (see S1.initial)
and are based on measurements of effectiveness (see B4 and/or W4).
System parameters are derived from other values; for example, subsystem parameters. Mathematical expressions, which
define the rules of derivation, can be specified in the model. Knowing how to calculate system parameter values enables
early system requirements verification. Using the capabilities of the modeling tool, the model can be executed to calcu-
late these values and give the verdict on whether quantitative requirements are satisfied or not.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, system parameters and formulas for calculating them are cap-
tured in the model by the System Analysis Team.
How to model?
In the modeling tool, a system parameter can be captured as a value property of the block, which may represent a system,
subsystem, or component. The formula for calculating that system parameter can be captured as a constraint expression
of a constraint block. The infrastructure of the SysML block definition diagram can be utilized for capturing both the sys-
tem parameter and the constraint expression. The following figure displays the diagram that captures a system parame-
ter as the totalMass value property and a formula for calculating this parameter as the constraint expression of the Total
Mass constraint block.
To empower the constraint expression to perform calculations, you have to specify what system, subsystem, or compo-
nent parameters captured somewhere in your model (or even across multiple models of the solution domain) should be
consumed as variables (or constraint parameters) of that constraint expression. This can be done in the SysML paramet-
rics diagram by utilizing binding connectors represented as solid lines in the following figure.
The simulation capabilities of the modeling tool allows you to calculate system parameters with given inputs. Having the
system parameter calculated, you can verify the appropriate non-functional system requirement and give the verdict on
whether it is satisfied or not. The modeling tool enables you to perform this verification automatically. To get ready for the
automated requirements verification, you need to relate the value property, which captures the system parameter, to the
appropriate system requirement. You need to specify a satisfy relationship between them. The following figure displays
an example of the satisfy relationship between the totalMass value property and the Total Mass nonfunctional require-
ment, which means that the requirement is satisfied when the value of the totalMass value property is not greater than
20 kg. As you can see, the natural language expression in the requirement text is refined by another constraint expression
of the Total Mass constraint block, the tm <= 20 inequality.
As you can see, both satisfy and refine relationships are represented in the SysML requirements diagram, but the bdd can
also be used for this purpose.
What’s next?
• Once you have system parameters, you can specify how they satisfy system requirements. Therefore, you can move
to S1.final.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Organizing the model for S4
Let’s assume that you want to specify how to calculate the total mass of the Vehicle Climate Control System. Since that
system parameter is related to the whole system instead of being tied to some subsystem or component, it should be
specified in the system configuration model you updated in step 3 of the S3 final phase tutorial. This and all subsequently
captured system parameters can be stored inside the 4 System Parameters package placed directly under the 3 VCCS Con-
figuration package in the system configuration model.
i Calculating the total mass of the Vehicle Climate Control System requires knowing the total mass of each sub-
system. These are subsystem parameters that come from solution domain models of subsystems. In order to use
these parameters for calculating the total mass of the VCCS, solution domain models of each subsystem must
be used in the system configuration model. This is why the preceding figure displays them as used in the system
configuration model. However, you should keep in mind that the solution domain models of subsystems, except
for the one of the Cooling System, are not elaborated. They are needed only for capturing appropriate subsystem
parameters. You learn how to create subsystem parameters in one of the subsequent steps of this cell tutorial.
To organize the model for S4
1. Open the system configuration model of the VCCS (the VCCS_Solution .mdzip file) you created in step 1 of the S3 final
phase tutorial, if not opened yet.
4. Type 4 System Parameters to specify the name of the new package and press Enter.
You also need to create a package for storing constraint blocks in the model. Let it be the 1 Constraints package under the
4 System Parameters package you see in the following figure (we assume that you created it on your own).
Step 2 . Specifying a system parameter to capture the total mass

As you can see in the following figure, system requirements specification (see S1) and measurements of effectiveness (see
B4) determine the specification of the system parameter that captures the total mass of the VCCS.
System parameters are captured as value properties of a relevant block. In this case, you should create a value property
for the VCCS block in the system configuration model. However, using the inheritance and redefinition capabilities of the
modeling tool makes the start easier. Let’s see how it works.
To specify a system parameter that captures the total mass of the VCCS
1. Create a bdd for capturing system parameters:
a. Right-click the 4 System Parameters package you created in step 1 of the S4 tutorial and select Create Diagram.
b. In the search box, type bdd, the acronym of SysML block definition diagram, and then double-press Enter. The
diagram is created.
i The diagram is named after the package where it is stored. This name perfectly works for the diagram,
too. You may only remove the sequence number from its name.
2. Display the MoEs Holder block on the diagram:
b. In the dialog:
iii. Click Any Element to search for particular elements only.

iv. Type moes.
v. Click to clear the Apply Filter check box at the bottom of the search results list to include the contents of
external models into the search scope (this is necessary as the MoEs Holder block resides in the problem
domain model).
c. When you see the MoEs Holder block selected in the search results list, press Enter. The block is selected in the
Model Browser.
d. Drag the MoEs Holder block to the diagram pane. The shape of the block is displayed on the diagram.
3. Display the VCCS Configuration block on the diagram:
b. In the dialog:
i. Click Any Element to search for particular elements only.

ii. Type vccs.
c. When you see the VCCS Configuration block selected in the search results list, press Enter. The block is selected in
the Model Browser.
d. Drag the VCCS Configuration block to the diagram pane. The shape of the block is displayed on the diagram.
4. Establish the generalization between the VCCS Configuration block (sub-type) and the MoEs Holder block (super-type):
e. Click the Generalization button on the diagram palette.

f. Click the shape of the VCCS Configuration block.
g. Click the shape of the MoEs Holder block. The MoEs Holder block becomes the super-type of the VCCS Configura-
tion block, which means that the latter inherits all value properties from the former.
5. Show inherited value properties on the shape of the VCCS Configuration block:
a. Right-click the shape and select Symbol Properties.
b. Click the drop-down list box above the properties list and select All. All properties of the block shape are dis-
played in the dialog.
c. In the search field at the bottom of the open dialog, type inh. The Show Inherited property appears at the top of
the property list.
d. Click to set the property value to true and close the dialog. The inherited value properties of VCCS Configuration
block are displayed on its shape. Caret symbols (“^”) indicate them as inherited.
6. Redefine the Total Mass MoE for the VCCS Configuration block:
a. Right-click the Total Mass value property on the shape of that block and select Refactor > Redefine To.
b. Rename the value property to totalMass directly on the shape and press Enter. Let this be a new convention of
naming value properties in the solution domain.
You may also redefine the Sound Level MoE, though we’re not going to specify how to calculate it. Afterwards, your System
Parameters diagram should look like the one in the following diagram.
Step 3 . Capturing a formula for calculating the total mass

The totalMass value property captures a derivative system parameter. Therefore, the next thing you need to do is capture
the mathematical expression which specifies how to calculate that value property. The mathematical expression can be
captured as the constraint expression of some constraint block stored in your model.
In this step, you should define a constraint block and specify a constraint expression for calculating the total mass of the
VCCS. Let’s say the total mass of the VCCS is a sum of masses of all its subsystems plus the mass of the VCCS itself. The
constraint expression can be defined as follows:
tm = cooling_tm + heating_tm + control_tm + sensors_tm + ui_tm + m
where:
1. tm stands for the total mass of the VCCS
2. cooling_tm stands for the total mass of the Cooling System
3. heating_tm stands for the total mass of the Heating System
4. control_tm stands for the total mass of the Control System
5. sensors_tm stands for the total mass of the Sensors System
6. ui_tm stands for the total mass of the Sensors System
7. m stands for the mass of the VCCS itself
In terms of SysML, tm, cooling_tm, . . ., and m are generally referred to as constraint parameters and later should be bound
to corresponding value properties specified in the model.
A bdd can be utilized for capturing constraint blocks. This constraint block is not an exception; therefore, you can use the
bdd you created in step 2 of this tutorial. The constraint block can then be moved to the 1 Constraints package you created
in step 1 of this tutorial.
i Usually constraint blocks are first defined in the model and only then are applied to blocks. In terms of SysML,
a constraint block is applied to some block when it types a constraint property of that block. A single constraint
block, defined in the model once, can then be applied to many blocks. Therefore, constraint blocks should be
stored in a separate package within the model.
To capture the formula for calculating the total mass of the VCCS
1. Create a constraint block:
b. Open the System Parameters diagram, if not opened yet.
c. Click the Constraint Block button on the diagram palette and then click the empty place of that diagram pane.
An unnamed constraint block is created.
d. Type Total Mass directly on the shape of that element to specify its name and press Enter.
2. Specify a constraint expression to capture the above defined formula:
a. Click the symbol of the empty constraint expression on the Total Mass constraint block.
b. Click the selection again. The empty constraint expression switches to the edit mode.
c. Type tm=cooling_tm+heating_tm+control_tm+sensors_tm+ui_tm+m and then press Enter.
3. Specify constraint parameters:
a. Select the shape of the Total Mass constraint block and click the Parse and Create Parameters button on its
smart manipulator toolbar (see the following figure). Constraint parameters are automatically extracted from the
constraint expression and displayed in the parameters compartment box on the shape.
b. Select parameters one by one and change their types from the default Real to mass[kilograms] directly on the
shape of the constraint block:
i. Double-click the type to select it, type mass[k, and press Ctrl + Spacebar.
ii. Select the mass[kilograms] type from the list below.
i If the list is empty, you need to load the ISO library. For this, click ISO on the smart manipulator tool-
bar on the selected parameter.
iii. Press Enter.
Once you’re finished with the last one, the shape of the Total Mass constraint block should look like the one in the
following figure.
4. Drag the Total Mass constraint block to the 1 Constraints package in your model. The constraint block is moved to
that package.
Step 4 . Specifying subsystem parameters to capture total masses

Having the constraint expression, you can easily determine what system/subsystem parameters are necessary for calcu-
lating the total mass of the VCCS. Input parameters of that constraint expression can help you with this task.
As you may recall, the constraint expression of the Total Mass constraint block has six input parameters and therefore re-
quires six system/subsystem parameters captured as value properties in your models. Five of them are subsystem param-
eters, each capturing the total mass of one subsystem. They should be specified in separate models, each in the solution
domain model of the relevant subsystem. For example, the value property capturing the total mass of the Cooling System
should be defined in the solution domain model of the Cooling System you created in step 1 of the SS3 tutorial. As you can
see in the following figure, the totalMass value property should be created for the Cooling System Design block.
To specify a subsystem parameter that captures the total mass of the Cooling System
1. Open the solution domain model of the Cooling System, the one you created in step 1 of the SS3 tutorial.
2. In the Model Browser, select the Cooling System Design block:
b. In the dialog:
i. Click Type to search for typing elements only.
ii. Type cool.
c. When you see the Cooling System Design block selected in the search results list, press Enter. The block is selected
in the Model Browser.
3. Specify the totalMass value property for the Cooling System Design block:
a. Right-click the Cooling System Design block and select Create Element.
b. In the search box, type vp, where v stands for value and p for property, and press Enter.
c. Type totalMass:mass[k and press Ctrl + Spacebar to select the suitable value type.
d. Select the mass[kilograms] value type from the list below and press Enter.
The total masses of the other subsystems can be captured appropriately, following the above described steps.
The last of the six input parameters of the constraint expression requires you to specify another system parameter – the
mass of the VCCS itself. The appropriate value property can be captured in the next step.
Step 5 . Binding constraint parameters to system/subsystem parameters

Once you have the system/subsystem parameters (captured as value properties in the model), it’s time to bind them to
the appropriate constraint parameters of the Total Mass constraint block. Remember that it is the binding which empow-
ers the constraint expression to perform calculations on given inputs.
Bindings between value properties and constraint parameters can be established using binding connectors. This type of
SysML relationship can be created by utilizing the infrastructure of the SysML parametrics diagram created for the VCCS
Configuration block. However, creating the SysML parametrics diagram is not enough to get started. Establishing binding
connectors is possible only after the Total Mass constraint block is applied to the VCCS Configuration block.
To bind the constraint parameters of the Total Mass constraint block to the corresponding value properties
1. Open the VCCS configuration model and be sure the used models are up to date.
i For more information on this topic, refer to latest documentation of your modeling tool.
2. Find the VCCS Configuration block:
b. Type vccs.
c. When you see the VCCS Configuration block selected in the search results list, press Enter. The block is selected in
the Model Browser.
3. Create a SysML parametrics diagram for the VCCSystem Configuration block:
a. Press Ctrl + N. The Create Diagram dialog opens.
b. In the search box, type par, the acronym for the SysML parametrics diagram, and press Enter. The blank SysML
parametrics diagram is created, and the Display Parameters/ Parts dialog opens.
c. Select all the totalMass value properties and click OK. Selected value properties are displayed on the diagram
pane, and the diagram is selected in the Model Browser with the name edit mode switched on.
i As you can see, the value properties are displayed in the dot notation. If you want to switch to the nested
notation, select all the shapes, except the one of the totalMass value property (the second shape on the
top), then right-click them and select Refactor > Convert to Nested Parts.
d. Type Total Mass of the VCCS to name the diagram and press Enter.
4. Find the Total Mass constraint block:
b. Type total.
c. When you see the Total Mass constraint block selected in the search results list, press Enter. The constraint block
is selected in the Model Browser.
5. Drag the Total Mass constraint block to the Total Mass of the VCCS diagram. An unnamed constraint property is created
for the VCCS Configuration block. The constraint property is typed by the Total Mass constraint block, which means
that this constraint block is applied on the VCCS Configuration block. The Parametric Equation Wizard dialog opens
concurrently.
6. Select constraint parameters (on the left side of the dialog) one by one and drag each to the corresponding value
property (on the right side of the dialog):
• heating_tm to the totalMass value property of the Heating System Design block
• control_tm to the totalMass value property of the Control System Design block
• ui_tm to the totalMass value property of the UI System Design block
• tm to the totalMass value property of the VCCS Configuration block
• cooling_tm to the totalMass value property of the Cooling System Design block
• sensors_tm to the totalMass value property of the Sensors System Design block
i • You may need to expand the structure on the right side of the dialog to see the value property you need.
Remember that majority of them belong to the subsystem blocks, but not to the system block directly.
• Once bound, the constraint parameter changes its color from red to grey.
7. After you bind all the items except the m constraint parameter (the corresponding value property is not created yet!),
click OK. The dialog closes and all the bindings are displayed on the diagram pane.
There are a few more ways of establishing binding connectors. You can learn one of them to bind the m constraint param-
eter to a new value property that captures the mass of the VCCS itself.
To bind the m constraint parameter to the new value property
1. Select the shape of the constraint property on the diagram pane and click the Display All Parameters button on
its smart manipulator toolbar. The m constraint parameter is displayed on the shape of that constraint property.
2. Select the shape of the m constraint parameter and click the Binding Connector button on its smart manipulator
toolbar.
3. Click somewhere you see good on the diagram pane. An unnamed value property is created.
i Like the diagram, where the mass value property is displayed, it is owned by the VCCS Configuration block. To
make sure, right-click the shape of the mass value property and choose Select in Containment Tree.
4. Directly on the shape, type mass:mass[kilo and press Ctrl + Spacebar.

5. Select the mass[kilograms] type from the list below and press Enter.
Now you can run the simulation, provide input values, and see the result of the calculation.
i The simulation capabilities are not discussed here, since they concern the model usage, not the modeling. To
learn more about the simulation, see the latest documentation of your modeling tool.
Step 6 . Getting ready for the automated requirements verification

Having the system parameter calculated, you can verify the Total Mass system requirement and give the verdict on wheth-
er it is satisfied or not. The modeling tool enables you to perform this verification automatically. To get ready for the
automated requirements verification, you need to:
1. Formalize the constraint captured as the natural language phrase in the text of the Total Mass system requirement. In
terms of SysML, you should create another constraint block with another constraint expression, this time the tm <= 20
inequality, and then draw a refine relationship between that constraint block and the Total Mass system requirement,
as you can see in the following figure.
2. Indicate the system parameter, whose value determines whether the system requirement is satisfied or not. In terms
of SysML, you should draw a satisfy relationship from the totalMass value property, which captures the system pa-
rameter, to the Total Mass system requirement.
Step 7 . Adding more complexity to the calculations

The previous steps describe quite simple calculations, where all inputs are defined manually. However, situations like this
are rare in real-world cases. Usually calculations are more complex, and outputs of one constraint expression become
inputs for another constraint expression.
The formula specifying how to calculate the total mass of the VCCS can become more complex as well. It can be captured
as a combination of several constraint expressions. You can specify adequate constraint expressions for each design sub-
system of the VCCS and make their totalMass value properties calculable instead of being manually defined.
While the constraint block for calculating the total mass of the VCCS is defined in the VCCS configuration model, the
constraint block for calculating the total mass of the Cooling System should be defined in the solution domain model of
the Cooling System. Value properties that capture the mass values of Cooling System components should be defined in
that model as well. By following the instructions given in the previous steps of this tutorial, you can update the solution
domain model of the Cooling System with adequate elements.
i The total mass of the system can also be calculated by using the capabilities of the modeling tool. Instead of
defining constraints and value properties manually, the MassRollUpPattern can be applied to the VCCS Configu-
ration block. To learn more about roll-up patterns, see the latest documentation of the modeling tool.
S1. System Requirements: final

What is it?
To have a complete solution domain model, you need to establish traceability relationships between the elements that
capture the system requirements and the elements that capture the solution architecture of the system under design.
As determined by the SysML, these are the satisfy relationships, meaning that one of the latter fulfills one of the former;
for example, a satisfy relationship can be established from a block that captures some logical subsystem or component
to certain system requirement. In an ideal case, all system requirements are satisfied by one or more elements from the
solution domain model.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, these traceability relationships should be established by the
Requirements Team.
How to model?
Neither of the SysML diagrams is suitable for creating a mass of cross-cutting relationships, such as «satisfy». For this, a
matrix or a map is more suitable. The modeling tool offers a wide variety of predefined matrices for specifying cross-cut-
ting relationships. To capture «satisfy» relationships, a Satisfy Requirement Matrix can be used.
What’s next?
• Once you’re done with the system requirements traceability, you’re done with the solution architecture of the sys-
tem under design. This means, you can switch to the Implementation domain.
Tutorial
Step 1 . Organizing the model for S1 final
Let’s assume that you want to establish traceability relationships between the system requirements and the elements
that capture the solution architecture of the concrete system configuration. In such case, the Satisfy Requirement Matrix
should be created inside the 1 System Requirements package, a subpackage of the 3 VCCS Configuration package in the
configuration model of the VCCS (the VCCS_Solution .mdzip file).
To organize the model for S1 final
1. Open the system configuration model of the VCCS (the VCCS_Solution .mdzip file) you created in step 1 of the S3 final
phase tutorial, if not opened yet.
4. Type 1 System Requirements to specify the name of the new package and press Enter.
Step 2 . Creating a matrix for capturing satisfy relationships

In this step, you should create a Satisfy Requirement Matrix and specify its criteria. System requirements can be displayed
in the columns of the matrix, and the elements that capture the system configuration can be displayed in its rows. As
opposed to a common dependency matrix, a Satisfy Requirement Matrix has the column elements type and dependency
criteria predefined, which helps to speed up building the view.
To create a Satisfy Requirement Matrix
2. In the search box, type srm, the acronym of the predefined Satisfy Requirement Matrix, and press Enter.
3. Type System Configuration to System Requirements to specify the name of the new matrix and press Enter again.
4. In the Model Browser, expand the 2 Solution Domain package (if not yet expanded), select the 1 System Requirements
package, and drag it onto the Column Scope box in the Criteria area above the matrix contents. The 1 System Re-
quirements package, an inner package of the 2 Solution Domain package, becomes the scope of the matrix columns.
5. In the Model Browser, select any part property, proxy port, constraint property, and value property with the «moe»
stereotype and drag the selection onto the Row Element Type box in the Criteria area above the matrix contents.
Part properties, proxy ports, constraint properties, and value properties (with the «moe» stereotype) become types
of the matrix rows.
select other items one by one. This also applies to step 6.
6. In the Model Browser, directly under the 4 VCCS Configuration package, select the 3 System Structure package, a sib-
ling package of the 1 System Requirements package with the Satisfy Requirement Matrix, and then drag the selection
onto the Row Scope box in the Criteria area above the matrix contents. The 3 System Structure package becomes the
scope of the matrix rows, and the contents of the matrix is updated. All the cells are empty at the moment, except the
one at the intersection of the totalMass value property and the SR-1 .6 Total Mass requirement (remember that this
relationship was created in step 6 of the S4 tutorial).
The following figure displays the Criteria area of the matrix, with highlights on step 4, 5, and 6 related criteria.
Step 3 . Capturing satisfy relationships

Now you’re ready to establish more satisfy relationships. Let’s specify that the proxy port typed by the iMechanicial Power
interface block satisfies the SR-1 .7 Engine Use requirement.
To specify the satisfy relationship in the matrix
• Double-click the cell at the intersection of the row that displays the proxy port typed by the iMechanicial Power
interface block and the column that displays the SR-1 .7 Engine Use requirement. The satisfy relationship is created
between the appropriate items and displayed in the cell.
After all satisfy relationships are established, your System Configuration to System Requirements matrix should resemble
the one in the following figure. In the ideal case, every system requirement must be satisfied by one or more elements
from the system configuration model. The final version of the matrix tells the systems engineer how well the system con-
figuration satisfies the system requirements.
Implementation domain
Introduction
After the solution architecture of the whole system is defined and the optimal system configuration is selected (by means
of the trade-off an alysis), the system is ready for implementation. At this point in time you should start thinking of the
system as real, not abstract any longer, like you did in the problem and solution domains.
As you can see in the following table, the implementation domain is only partially covered by the MagicGrid framework.
The approach defines physical requirements specification of the system under implementation, but its detailed design is
not a part of MBSE, nor a part of the MagicGrid approach. The detailed design of the system is a part of the model-based
design (MBD) and can be developed by using tools like electrical and mechanical CAD software or automated code gen-
eration tools, to name a few.
PILLAR
Black
Box
Needs Effectiveness
Problem
White
Box
Communication
Testing
... ... ... ... Analysis
Implementation
Requirements
I1 Physical Requirements
What is it?
To be able to implement a system, you first need to have the detailed physical requirements of that system in order to fol-
low them while producing a detailed design of it. The detailed physical requirements are based on the solution architec-
ture of the system under design, including the solution architectures of all its subsystems and even more specific parts.
The physical requirements specification is given to the engineers of various disciplines, who are responsible for designing
different aspects of the system under implementation.
Who is responsible?
In a typical multidisciplinary systems engineering team, the physical requirements of the system under implementation
are specified by the Requirements Team.
How to model?
In the modeling tool, an item of the physical requirements specification can be stored as a SysML requirement, which
has a unique identification, name, and textual specification. Physical requirements must be formal and written down by
following certain guidelines, for example; write in short and clear sentences only; avoid conditional keywords, such as
if, except, as well; use the shall keyword; and include tables. For more information on how to write good textual require-
ments, refer to INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook.
Managing physical requirements is similar to managing stakeholder needs and system requirements. Just like them,
physical requirements can be categorized and organized into groups, subgroups, and so forth. SysML supports a wide
variety of requirement categories, such as physical, functional, and performance, to name a few. For grouping require-
ments, use the containment relationships among them. The SysML requirements that capture grouping items might not
have any text itself. As you can see in the following figure, which shows an example of physical requirements for the
Cooling System, there are four groups of requirements: Electronics & Electric, Mechanics, Thermodynamics, and Generic
Characteristics. You can also see that all items are categorized into functional, physical, and performance requirements.
Physical requirements should be derived from the system, subsystem, or component requirements defined in the solution
domain. Each physical requirement must cover at least one item of the system, subsystem, or component requirements.
For this, you can use the «deriveReqt» relationship pointing from the physical requirement to that item of the system,
subsystem, or component requirements. Having derivation relationships among requirements in different domains, you
can easily trace from the very detailed requirements to the very abstract requirements and see what items determine the
creation of other items. For performing such impact analysis (either downstream or upstream), we recommend utilizing
the infrastructure of the Requirement Derivation Map, one of the predefined relationship maps in the modeling tool (you
can see an example in the following figure).
Moreover, each physical requirement should refine one or more elements from the solution domain model. For this, you
can use the «refine» relationship pointing from the physical requirement to some structural or behavioral element within
the solution domain model. For establishing and reviewing these relationships, we recommend utilizing the infrastruc-
ture of the Refine Requirement Matrix, one of the predefined dependency matrices in the modeling tool (the example
is displayed in the following figure). As you can see, the physical requirements specification is not yet completed, since
there are some elements in the solution domain that are not yet refineᵈ by any physical requirement; for example, the
Diagnosing and Off states. Also, it shouldn’t happen in a real-world case that a physical requirement refines no element
from the solution domain; for example, the PR-2 .2 .1 Pulley Belts and PR-2 .4 Sound Level requirements. In such case, either
the solution domain model must be revised and updated, or the physical requirements specification must be reviewed
and improved to conform to the solution domain model.
Tutorial
Steps of the I4 tutorial are adequate to the steps of the S1 initial phase tutorial:
• Step 1. Creating and organizing a model for S1 initial

• Step 2. Creating a diagram for system requirements
• Step 3. Specifying system requirements
• Step 4. Establishing traceability to stakeholder needs
• Step 5. Establishing traceability to the rest of the problem domain model
What’s next?
• When you have the physical requirements of the system under implementation, you are ready to develop the de-
tailed design of the system. It’s time to switch to the model-based design in order to focus on different aspects of the
system, such as mechanical, electrical, and software components, to name a few. These activities are outside the
scope of the MagicGrid approach.
Future works
Thank you for taking time to read the first edition of the MagicGrid BoK. Your feedback on the book is more than welcome.
All comments will be taken into account before releasing the second edition of the book. Moreover, everyone of you can
sign-up as a reviewer for the second edition of the MagicGrid BoK. Please express your interest by sending an email to
[email protected].
Besides the comments we will get, we have plans to extend the scope of the MagicGrid BoK. The first edition of the book
is the starting point for us to move the MBSE practicing effort to a much broader scope. The main focus of this book is to
introduce readers to a new, practically proven approach of developing the system model. Model development, however,
is only one of many aspects of modelbased systems engineering. There are other aspects that we want to address in fu-
ture editions of the MagicGrid BoK, such as model governance and model usage, to name a few.
Glossary
Action
A SysML element that can capture a basic unit of the system functionality within the activity. It represents some form of pro-
cessing or transformation that will occur when the activity is executed during the system operation. An action is represented
as a round-cornered rectangle, with the name displayed as a string inside that rectangle.
Activity
A type of behavioral SysML element that can contain a set of model elements, such as actions and flows, and the activity
diagram that represents these elements.
Activity diagram
A type of behavioral SysML diagram that can be used to describe the flow of control or the flow of inputs and outputs among
actions. Activity diagrams can be used to specify the black- and whitebox scenarios of the expected system functionality, and
in combination with state machine diagrams to design the system behavior.
Actor
A SysML element that can capture a role played by a person, an organization, or another system when it interacts with the
system of interest in the particular context. However, the MagicGrid approach recommends using a block instead of the ac-
tor to capture these concepts, for the reasons described in B3.initial.
Association
A type of SysML relationship that enables you to specify what actors interact with the system of interest in the particular
system context to invoke or participate in a use case. The notation for the association is a solid line.
Binding connector
A special type of SysML connector that is used to represent an equality relationship between a constraint parameter and a
value property in a parametric diagram, in order to convey that the constraint parameter receives the values from that value
property. The notation for the binding connector is a solid line.
Black box / white box

The black box represents an external view of the system. During the system analysis from the blackbox perspective, the sys-
tem is viewed in terms of its inputs and outputs, without any knowledge of its internal structure and behavior.
The white box represents an internal view of the system. During the system analysis from the whitebox perspective, the func-
tional decomposition of the system is performed in order to identify functional blocks, also known as logical subsystems or
components of the system.
Block
A SysML element of definition which can capture a basic unit of the system structure. A block is represented as a rectangle
with a stereotype block preceding the name of the «block» in the name compartment.
Block definition diagram (bdd)

A type of structural SysML diagram that can be used to define features of blocks and relationships between blocks, such as
associations, generalizations, and dependencies. It captures the definition of blocks in terms of properties and operations,
and relationships such as a system hierarchy or a system classification tree. Block definition diagrams can be used to specify
the structure of the system or subsystem, and to define the interfaces and constraints of that system or subsystem.
Call behavior action

A special type of SysML action that can invoke another behavior: an activity, a state machine, or an interaction. Call behavior
actions enable you to decompose a higher-level behavior into a set of lower-level behaviors.
Composite association / Directed composition

A special type of SysML association that enables you to specify that one block is a part of another block. The notation for the
composite association is a solid line between two blocks with a black diamond on the composite end and an open arrow-
head on the part end. Drawing a composite association between blocks creates a part property for the block that appears on
the black diamond end of the relationship; the part property can have a name and is typed by the block which appears on
the arrowhead end of the composite association.
Component
An elementary object of the system structure. Components are often grouped into subsystems of the system; they are iden-
tified by decomposing these subsystems. A component can be captured as a block in the model.
Connector
A type of SysML relationship that is used to represent communication between two part properties in an ibd. The connector
may be established between part properties through various kinds of ports (as long as these ports are compatible); for ex-
ample, two part properties connected through proxy ports convey that they exchange some matter, energy, or data that can
flow between them over the connector, through compatible proxy ports. The notation for the binding connector is a solid
line.
Constraint block
A SysML element of definition that can capture a constraint expression (either an equation or an inequality). The constraint
expression enables you to constrain the value properties of blocks. The variables of the constraint expression are called con-
straint parameters. These constraint parameters receive their values from the value properties that are being constrained.
The notation of the constraint block is the same as for the block, but with the «constraint» stereotype before the name of
the element.
Constraint parameter
A variable that appears in a constraint expression of the constraint block. It is captured as a property of the constraint block
in the model, and is represented as a string in the parameters compartment of that constraint block.
Constraint property
A usage of a constraint block in the context of some block or, in other words, a property of a block typed by a constraint block
defined somewhere in your model. It can be represented as a string in the constraints compartment of that block in a bdd,
or as a round-cornered rectangle in a parametrics diagram. The name of the constraint property in both cases is displayed as
a string followed by a colon and the name of the constraint block which types that property; for example, mass : totalMass.
Control flow
A type of SysML relationship between a pair of actions. Control flows enable you to express the order in which actions are
performed in the associated activity. Control flow is represented as an dashed line with an open arrowhead.
Decision/Merge
The decision node marks the start of alternative flow in an activity. It is represented as a hollow diamond, and must have a
single incoming flow and two or more outgoing flows.
The merge node marks the end of the alternative flow in an activity. It is represented as a hollow diamond, and must have
two or more incoming flows and a single outgoing flow.
Exchange item
A concept that defines a type of matter, energy, or data that can flow between two structural objects within a system; for ex-
ample, between two part properties that capture the subsystems of the system, in an ibd. An exchange item can be captured
as a block or a signal and then assigned as an item flow to the connector. In such case, the connector is decorated with a
filled-in triangle.
Flow property
A property of an interface block. It can have a direction and a type. The direction of the flow property specifies whether the
property represents an input or an output of the structural object within the model.
Fork/Join
The fork node marks the start of concurrent flows in an activity. It is represented as a line segment (either horizontal or ver-
tical), and must have a single incoming flow and two or more outgoing flows.
The join node marks the end of concurrent flows in an activity. It is represented as a line segment (either horizontal or verti-
cal), and must have two or more incoming flows and a single outgoing flow.
Function
A task performed by a system, or a certain part of it, to transform inputs to outputs. A single function can be captured as an
activity in the model.
Functional block
A concept that is used to define a structural object which is responsible for performing one or more functions of the system.
Functional blocks are identified by performing the functional decomposition of the system. Functional blocks serve as in-
puts for defining the structure of the system of interest. They can also be called logical subsystems or logical components in
different levels of the functional decomposition.
Functional decomposition / Functional breakdown

A set of steps to break down the overall function of a system into its smaller parts, in order to identify functional blocks.
Graphical User Interface (GUI)

A type of user interface that allows the use of icons or other visual indicators to interact with electronic devices, rather than
using only text via the command line.
High-Level Solution Architecture (HLSA) model

The core of a solution domain model. Based on the results of the problem domain analysis, it defines the subsystems of the
system under design (as a single-level hierarchy). The purpose of the HLSA model is to identify work packages, one for each
subsystem, and allocate them to separate engineering teams. For more information, refer to Solution domain.
Interface
A hardware or software component that connects two or more structural objects of the system or the system and the objects
from its environment, for the purpose of passing matter, energy, or data from one to the other.
Interface block
A SysML element of definition that can contain a set of flow properties which define the inputs and outputs of some structur-
al object captured in the model as a block; for example, a system, a subsystem, or a component. The notation of the interface
block is the same as for the block, but with the «interfaceBlock» stereotype before the name of the element.
Internal block diagram (ibd)

A type of structural SysML diagram that can be used to capture the internal structure of a block in terms of properties and
connectors between these properties. Block definition diagrams can be used to specify the system context and the interac-
tions within the system.
Measurement of Effectiveness (MoE)

A characteristic of the SoI in numerical format, MoE is a traditional term widely used in systems engineering, and describes
how well a system carries out a task within a specific context.
Model Browser
An element of the modeling tool GUI which represents the contents of the model repository. It is by default located at the left
of the main window of the modeling tool.
Model-based design (MBD)

A mathematical and visual method of addressing problems associated with designing complex control, signal processing,
and communication systems.
Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)

The formalized application of modeling to support system requirements, design, analysis, verification, and validation activ-
ities beginning in the conceptual design phase and continuing throughout development and later life cycle phases. MBSE
focuses on creating and exploiting models as the primary means of information exchange between engineers, rather than
documentbased information exchange.
Modeling tool
Either Cameo Systems Modeler or MagicDraw with the SysML Plugin installed on top.
Object flow
A type of SysML relationship between a pair of actions. Object flows enable you to express what matter, energy, or data flows
through an activity from one action to another when the activity executes. Object flow is represented as a solid line with an
open arrowhead.
Package
A kind of SysML element that can contain other elements. Packages can be used to organize the elements into logically
cohesive groups.
Parametric diagram
A special type of ibd which displays the internal structure of a block, with focus on bindings between the value properties of
that block and the constraint parameters of the applied constraint block. Parametric diagrams can be used to calculate the
values of system parameters (by utilizing the simulation capabilities of the modeling tool).
Part property
A usage of a block in the context of another block, or in other words, a property of a block typed by another block that is
defined somewhere in your model. It can be represented as a string in the parts compartment of that block in a bdd, or as a
rectangle in an ibd. Using part properties enables you to specify the internal structure of the system captured in the model
as a block. A simplified ibd (without proxy ports) can be used to specify the interactions within a system context; in such
case the system context is captured as a block, with a part property typed by the block that captures the system of interest.
Presentation artifact
A visual representation of some fragment or aspect of the system model. It can be a diagram, matrix, map, or table. Presen-
tation artifacts work as data inputs to the model or data editors.
Proxy port
A type of property of the block, typed by an interface block defined somewhere in your model. It represents the point at
the boundary of the structural object represented by that block, through which the external entities can interact with that
structural object. In other words, it is a usage of an interface block in the context of another block. A proxy port is always rep-
resented as a small rectangle on the shape of the block or part property, usually decorated with an arrow to indicate whether
the proxy port is for accepting inputs to the system, subsystem, or component, or providing outputs.
Requirement
A SysML element that can capture a text-based statement that translates or expresses a need. It can be used to capture
stakeholder needs, or to specify the system requirements and detailed physical requirements in the model.
Sequence diagram
A type of behavioral SysML diagram that can be used to describe how the parts of a block interact with one another via op-
eration calls and asynchronous signals.
Signal
A SysML element that you can use to capture an exchange item.
Smart manipulator toolbar

A piece of the modeling tool GUI. It appears when a symbol of the element is selected on the diagram pane.
Stakeholder
An individual or organization having a right, share, claim, or interest in a system or in its possession of characteristics that
meet their needs and expectations.
Stakeholder needs
Information gathered from various stakeholders of the system of interest. This information includes primary user needs,
system-related government regulations, policies, procedures, and internal guidelines, to name a few. A single stakehold-
er need can be captured as a requirement in the model.
State
An element that captures a state of the system, in which it can exist during the operation. A state is represented as a
round-cornered rectangle with the name displayed as a string inside that rectangle.
State machine diagram

A type of behavioral SysML diagram that can be used to specify how a structure within a system changes state in response
to event occurrences over time. It can be used to specify the behavior of the system or its parts.
Subsystem
A secondary or subordinate system within a larger system. A subsystem can be captured as a block in the model.
System context
A concept that determines an external view of the system. It must introduce elements that do not belong to the system,
but do interact with it. Besides the system itself (considered to be a black box), the collection of elements in the particular
system context can include external systems and users (humans, organizations) that interact with the SoI in that context.
A single system context can be captured as a block in the model.
System
A combination of interacting elements that are organized into a complex whole for one or more common purposes.
System of interest (SoI)

The system whose life cycle is under consideration. The system that is being analyzed first from the black- and then from
the white-box perspective in order to produce the system requirements specification.
Systems Engineering (SE)

Interdisciplinary tasks which are required throughout a system’s life cycle to transform stakeholder needs, requirements,
and constraints into a system solution.
Systems Engineering Team
System requirements
Requirements to be met by the design of a system, subsystem, or component. System requirements are derived from
stakeholder needs, which are more abstract requirements.
System under design

The system that is being designed in order to produce the physical requirements specification for the detailed system
design.
System under implementation

The system whose detailed design is being developed.
System parameter
A numerical characteristic of the system, subsystem, or component. It can be specified as a value property of the block
that captures that system, subsystem, or component. System parameters are derived from MoEs and can be verified
against system requirements.
Systems Modeling Language (SysML)

A general-purpose modeling language for systems engineering applications. It supports the specification, analysis, de-
sign, verification, and validation of a broad range of systems and systemsof-systems.
Trade-off
A situational decision that involves diminishing or losing one quality, quantity, or property of a set or design in return for
gains in other aspects. In simple terms, a trade-off is where one thing increases and another must decrease.
Transition
A type of SysML relationship that represents a change from one state to another. It can be triggered by some event
concurrency.
Use case
A type of SysML element that can be used to capture what capabilities people expect from the system and what they
want to achieve by using it within the particular system context. The notation for the use case is an ellipse with the name
(usually a verb phrase) inside that ellipse.
Use case diagram

A type of behavioral SysML diagram that can be used to define a set of use cases performed within a particular system
context; it represents the black-box view of the system of interest. It also displays and can be used for creating associa-
tions between the use cases and the participants of the system context, to specify who/what is responsible for invoking
or participating in what use case.
Value property
A property of a block which can represent a quantity, a Boolean, or a string. It is displayed as a string in the values com-
partment of the block, and can be used to capture measurements of effectiveness of the system of interest (the «moe»
stereotype must be applied in addition).
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About the Authors

Aiste is an OMG® Certified Systems Modeling Professional (OCSMP). She has been with No Magic Europe for eight years,
and currently holds the position of Solutions Architect.
Her expertise area is MBSE, with special focus on requirements management. She takes responsibility for educating No
Magic clients on three pillars of MBSE: language (SysML), method (MagicGrid), and tool (No Magic software and integra-
tions). While working with internationally-known clients, such as Renault-Nissan, Leica Geosystems, Bombardier Trans-
portation, and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, she provides trainings, gives tool demonstrations, and participates in
providing custom solutions. Aiste is also responsible for spreading the MBSE culture by organizing MBSE webinars, pro-
ducing and maintaining the training material, and writing papers (alone and in collaboration with her colleagues). She is
a speaker at multiple MBSE conferences and other public events.
Before joining the Solution Architects team, Aiste worked as the Documentation Manager and has over five years of expe-
rience as a technical writer. While producing technical documentation of No Magic products, she gained a lot of experi-
ence with writing technical texts, which helped her greatly with producing the MagicGrid BoK.
Aiste holds a master’s degree in Information Systems Engineering from Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania).

Aurelijus is an OMG® Certified UML, Systems Modeling, and BPM Professional. Currently he is the Head of Solutions De-
partment at No Magic Europe.
He has expertise with model-based systems and software engineering (mostly based on UML and SysML) and defense
architectures (DoDAF, MODAF, NAF). Aurelijus is working with companies such as General Electric, Bombardier Transpor-
tation, Deutsche Bahn, ZF, Ford, BAE Systems, SIEMENS, and BMW. He is also a co-chairman and one of the leading archi-
tects for the current OMG UAF (previously known as UPDM) standards development group. He represents the No Magic
company in INCOSE and NATO.
In addition, Aurelijus is actively involved in educational activities. He teaches an Enterprise Architecture course in Kaunas
University of Technology; he earned his PhD in Informatics Engineering at the same university in 2013. Aurelijus is also an
author of multiple articles, and a speaker at multiple conferences.
MagicGrid®
Book of Knowledge
A Practical Guide to Systems Modeling
using MagicGrid from No Magic
Language editor Nina K Pettis

Designed by Skaidra Vaicekauskiene
Cover Design David Fiegenschue, Fig Design
Published and printed by

Vitae Litera, UAB
Savanoriu av. 137
LT-44146 Kaunas, Lithuania
www.tuka.lt | [email protected]

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Aiste Aleksandraviciene

Aurelijus Morkevicius, Ph.D.

Foreword by Enrique Krajmalnik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

B1-W1. Stakeholder Needs: initial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

B3. System Context: initial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

B2. Use Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

B3. System Context: final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

B4. Measurements of Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

W2. Functional Analysis: initial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

W3. Logical Subsystems Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Step 1. Grouping functions by logical subsystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

W4. MoEs for Subsystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

B1-W1. Stakeholder Needs: final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Deploying solution domain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

S1. System Requirements: initial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

S3. System Structure: initial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Step 5. Capturing interfaces at HLSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

SS3. Subsystem Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

S2/SS2. System/Subsystem Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

S3. System Structure: final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

S4. System Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137

S1. System Requirements: final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151

IMPLEMENTATION DOMAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

Foreword by Enrique Krajmalnik

Foreword by Aurelijus Morkevicius

The approach is completely applicable in practice for the following reasons:

How to read this book

All of the keywords and acronyms are defined in the Glossary.

How to provide feedback

B1-W1. Stakeholder Needs: initial

• Requirements management tools (for example, IBM® Rational® DOORS®)

To organize the model for B1-W1

4. Right-click the 1 Problem Domain package and select Create Element.

5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to create the package named 1 Black Box.

6. Right-click the 1 Black Box package and select Create Element.

7. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to create the package named 1 Stakeholder Needs.

Step 2 . Creating a table for stakeholder needs

To create the SysML requirement table for capturing stakeholder needs

1. Right-click the 1 Stakeholder Needs package and select Create Diagram.

Step 3 . Capturing stakeholder needs

• Capturing information directly in the model

• Copying information from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet

Capturing information directly in the model

Copying information from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet

To copy stakeholder needs from the MS Excel spreadsheet

2. Copy the contents:

• Press Ctrl+C on Windows or Linux.

4. Paste the contents to the table:

• Press Ctrl+V on Windows or Linux.

6. Wait while stakeholder needs are pasted into the table.

Importing information from a ReqIF file

• IBM® Rational® DOORS®

1. Exporting requirements from the requirements management tool to a ReqIF file.

To import stakeholder needs from the ReqIF file

Synchronizing information from IBM Rational DOORS

To synchronize stakeholder needs from DOORS NG 6.x to the modeling tool

2. Connect to the DOORS NG 6.x repository:

4. Make the synchronization single directional:

Step 4 . Grouping stakeholder needs

To group stakeholder needs

1. Create a grouping requirement:

the last one.

3. See appropriate changes in the SysML requirement table.