Abstract

Towards an Executable Specification-driven Toolset
for Analyzing DoDAF-Compliant Architectures

Dr. Azad Madni, SDPS Fellow
Intelligent Systems Technology, Inc.

Assad Moini
Intelligent Systems Technology, Inc.

Abstract

The purpose of the DoD Architecture Framework (DoDAF) is to ensure that operational needs and capabilities developed by DoD commands, services, and agencies can be transferred into architecture descriptions comprising interrelated operational, systems, and technical views. It is expected that these views can then be compared and related across organizational boundaries, including those for Joint and multi-national organizations. DoDAF is also intended to support the acquisition community in acquiring interoperable systems and capabilities for net-centric operations. While DoDAF does prescribe the use of certain architectural views to answer an operator’s questions regarding the operational capability and military utility that a DoDAF-conformant system is expected to provide, it does not offer explicit guidance on developing architectures. In this paper, we attempt to demystify the system architecting maze and discuss promising new developments such as SysML and DoDAF-unique UML profile. We discuss how these developments are being exploited to create AgileTecture, an executable specification-driven toolset for analyzing DoDAF-compliant architec-tures. Finally, we discuss the incorporation of the executable specification as a federate within the High-level Architecture-Run Time Infrastructure (HLA-RTI) which with the other federates can enable dynamic analysis and assessment of DoDAF architecture descriptions in meeting mission capability requirements from the perspective of the different stakeholders.

From:

Madni, A.M., Moini, A., and Madni, C.C., Proceedings of the Ninth World Conference on Integrated Design and Process Technology (IDPT 2006), San Diego, CA, June 25-30, 2006.