PTC Integrity Modeler
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InDetail InDetail Paper by Bloor Author David Norfolk Publish date August 2015 PTC Integrity Modeler …a standards-based tool for Systems and Software Engineering A key success factor“ for PTC Integrity Modeler is the continuing active involvement of its parent company in the development of key OMG standards such as the SysML extension to UML and the UPDM consolidation of the MODAF and DoDAF Enterprise Architecture frameworks. Author David Norfolk” Executive summary PTC Integrity Modeler is a standards-based, graphical systems and software engineering tool which, in our view, caters well for large distributed teams working on mission-critical and safety-critical projects involving the integration of software, hardware and human process. owever, in order to fully business and the technical needs of all appreciate this tool, it is customers with the goal of providing H important that its potential a quality product that meets the user users understand the concept of Systems needs.” Engineering (SE) and how it differs from In line with this, the PTC Integrity merely writing computer programs. In Modeler tool (in conjunction with the rest In our view, a company essence, Systems Engineering starts with of the PTC Integrity, Windchill, Creo and really needs“ to understanding a business-level problem ThingWorx tool-suites) promises to help institutionalise a and its context, independently of any companies to develop effective, holistic automated solution, and works forward solutions to large business-critical mature, metrics- to implementing human processes, problems, using systems engineering focussed, business- software and hardware which together principles and software engineering aligned systems solve the problem by means of “Systems to make the SE models “actionable” development culture of Systems” (SoS). In contrast to SoS, (that is, to produce code that will run in before it will be able conventional development only deals production). We think that it succeeds. with one simple, usually computerised, Nevertheless, “a fool with a tool is still a to utilise PTC Integrity system; SoS are much harder to fool” and no tool, by itself, can guarantee Modeler (or similar comprehend and manage without success – especially with the inherently tools) effectively. effective modelling. difficult class of problem PTC tends to A useful definition of Systems target. In our view, a company really Engineering comes from the International needs to institutionalise a mature, Council on Systems Engineering metrics-focused, business-aligned (INCOSE) at www.incose.org/practice/ systems development culture before ” whatissystemseng.aspx: it will be able to utilise PTC Integrity “Systems Engineering is an Modeler (or similar tools) effectively. interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realisation of successful Fast facts systems. It focuses on defining customer PTC Integrity Modeler is, in effect, what needs and required functionality early used to be called a CASE (Computer in the development cycle, documenting Aided Software Engineering) Tool; requirements, then proceeding with which supports systems and software design synthesis and system validation engineering in conjunction with standard while considering the complete problem: Enterprise Architecture (EA) frameworks Operations (such as UPDM) and standard notations • (such as UML 2, SysML and OVM). Cost & Schedule • However, readers whose eyes are now • Performance glazing over need to rethink what these • Training & Support terms really mean in a 21st century Test context. • Enterprise Architecture (EA) frameworks Disposal • have been developed and used successfully • Manufacturing by, in particular, the defence industry in “Systems Engineering integrates all order to manage long running projects the disciplines and speciality groups using distributed teams of analysts into a team effort forming a structured and programmers often working in development process that proceeds different countries and even for different from concept to production to operation. organisations. Building something like a Systems Engineering considers both the fighter plane, which operates on interlinked 3 A Bloor InDetail Paper human processes, software and mechanical to concentrate on the problem they are systems – with significant safety-critical trying to describe and solve, without issues – and which takes many years and fighting a clumsy user interface. millions of dollars to develop, is simply a More fundamentally, however, PTC very hard problem; too hard to address Integrity Modeler is standards-based. effectively without support from automated It not only supports OMG (Object tools. However, it is a problem similar to Management Group) UML 2 notation but many being encountered in, say, the health the properly-formed, OMG standard, SE and telecommunications industry – and, extension of UML, SysML. OMG SysML dare we say it – problems that may soon be is an interesting development that takes recognised in the financial services industry. UML beyond the world of computer EA is rapidly becoming seen as an important programming. Grady Booch (of IBM enabler for the alignment of business with Rational) is no fan of “high ceremony” technology and many organisations are process and expresses some regrets EA is rapidly becoming therefore adopting EA modelling and need that UML has rather grown beyond the “seen as an important tools to assist with this. simple visualisation tool that he and enabler for the SE is important because it starts by the rest of the “three amigos” originally considering the problem, rather than envisaged; but even he regards SysML alignment of business any particular technology solution. as an interesting and probably useful with technology and This makes it easier to take advantage refactoring of the UML concept (personal many organisations are of emerging technologies (such as communication at the Rational Software therefore adopting EA IoT) without being tied to outmoded Conference 2009), remembering that the modelling and need practices. It also makes it easier to UML 2 meta-model specifically supports develop holistic services that address such extensions. The difference between tools to assist with this. both non-functional requirements UML2 and SysML is most clearly seen (security, business continuity, integration in the difference between the formal with business processes, etc.) and (and rather incomprehensible) Object functional requirements, automated and Constraint Language (OCL) in UML 2 manual, of the organisation. In fact SE and the use of parameters in SysML to ” helps you be agile while at the same introduce real-world constraints into time managing the risk associated with SysML models in a pragmatic and less innovation, because you are always software-oriented way. PTC Integrity focussed on the business-level problem Modeler is also one of the few tools to being solved. SE is inherently technology properly support ISO 26550 compliant neutral, which is good because very Orthogonal Variability Modeling (OVM), few computerised systems are, in fact, which uniquely lets you extend SysML wholly automated and implemented and UML for model-based Product Line entirely in software: the automation is Management. embedded in a human-oriented process PTC Integrity Modeler also supports and interfaces with automated hardware established EA architectural frameworks systems. An automated system can’t be such as UPDM (Unified Profile for DoDAF validated properly if you aren’t aware of and MODAF) – the latest OMG initiative the human processes and mechanical that consolidates and (we hope) re- systems it integrates with; and SE, in factors MODAF and DoDAF MODAF conjunction with EA modelling, helps to (Architectural Frameworks from the UK ensure that the business sponsors of a Ministry of Defence and the US Dept. of new development, the business analysts Defence, respectively). designing the solution, the systems Moreover, PTC Integrity Modeler analysts designing any associated models are “actionable”, which keeps computer systems and the mechanical them alive and aligned both with or electrical engineers designing the business process and the business’ hardware, are all “reading off the same automated systems. Code can be song sheet”. automatically generated from UML class PTC Integrity Modeler addresses the and state diagrams. However, old- perceived failings of many 20th century fashioned on-demand synchronisation CASE tools, partly because desktop of the code with a model (which technology is now rich enough for users implies that at any particular time, © 2015 Bloor 4 the model and code may be out of The bottom line synchronisation) is being deprecated Organisations of all types are becoming in favour of instantaneous, automatic ever more dependent on extremely large, code synchronisation using new non- distributed and complex systems in which procedural code generators. These are software, hardware and human processes based on generator model templates, are aligned to deliver an effective which are themselves generated using service to the business. The growth in a meta-generator: the PTC Template the Internet of Things is evidence of Development Kit (TDK). this trend. In order to develop these, automated tools that enable not only Key findings software developers, but all the other In the opinion of Bloor Research, the stakeholders in automated business following represent the key facts of systems development, to move freely which prospective users of PTC Integrity between