Simulation model design process with reuse tasks 

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... requirements engineering process encompasses the set of tasks undertaken by the engineering team to define the simulation model software requirements. This process happens in the early stages of the software development before the architecture definition and detailed design. The main output of this task is a Software Requirement Specification (SRS), the software engineers ’ understanding of the high level system requirements and dependencies. An Interface Control Document (ICD) could also support the interface requirement definition. The requirement engineering flow is presented in Fig. 4 and follows the “Software requirements analysis” described in [12]. The SMRL will be supporting this process as follows: When the search engine returns model candidates, the user can review and evaluate their specification, interface definition and logical model and then, subjectively, decide which parts can be reused. Finally, the SMRL will be providing templates for the standard ECSS documentation, tailored to the needs of simulation models. Those include the SRS, ICD documents and the Software Verification Report (SVR) that will be used when verifying the requirements and the logical model. These documents will be part of the artefacts stored and managed by the library. The design process consists on the set of activities undertaken by the engineering team in order to derive the model design from available requirements. We considered aspects of the “software architectural design” and the “software design” processes describe in [12], and adapted them when defining the architecture and design of a simulation model. The SMRL will be supporting this process as follows: it will provide design artefacts of the model candidates to support the reuse of the architecture, interfaces and detailed designs. Also, it will provide templates and guidelines for the realization of the standard design documentation, i.e. Software Design Description (SDD), Software User Manual (SUM) and Software Reuse File (SRF). This process comprises the definition of the model architecture, interfaces and the detailed design; the development of the architecture and detailed design can take advantage of reuse by evaluation and selection of the applicable parts of the reused models. The reusable parts of the design will be added when creating the detailed design of the new simulation model. From this activity the new SDD, SUM, SRF, and optionally the ICD design, of the new simulation model are relevant artefacts that will be stored and managed by the library (See Fig. 5). Under the term “ construction process ” we include the implementation and testing processes. In the coding process, the implementation of the simulation model and the build procedures to compile and link the simulation model shall be created. The SMRL helps to provide model source codes, build scripts and documentation (e.g. SDD, SUM) of the reused models. The engineers shall evaluate and select which parts could be reused by the model being developed. In the testing process, the SMRL provides test documentation such as a test plan, including test cases, e.g. inputs, outputs and test criteria, as well as test procedures, test results and the supporting artefacts such as test codes, test data and test scripts. Reusing these artefacts could be a starting point for the testing activities of the new model. The engineers considering reuse shall evaluate and select which of those artefacts are applicable and can be reused. The availability of the test documentation and artefacts is important to generate confidence and credibility in the behaviour of the models managed by the library. As defined in [15], the simulation model validation is the process of determining the degree to which a simulation model and its associated data are an accurate representation of the real object or idea, from the perspective of the intended uses of the model. Part of the validation will be covered by the tests applied to the simulation model during the construction process. When testing is not possible, the validation will be carried out by analysis, inspection or review of design. The verification is the process of determining that a model implementation and its associated data accurately represent the engin eer’ s conceptual description and specifications [15]. The verification tasks that occur during the engineering processes are described in detail in [12]. Based on the above and taking into account the original objectives of the activity, the following high level requirements were identified for the library and its supporting infrastructure. The SMRL ...