Workshop

Summary

The transition from document-based to model-based systems engineering (MBSE) offers an approach to develop complex cyber-physical systems in an interdisciplinary context in a sustainable and understandable way. The ability of a company to efficiently develop such systems in an interdisciplinary context is already a decisive competitive factor today. At the same time, however, new challenges are emerging in cross-domain development. Domain experts are not only responsible for individual sub-areas of a system, but must place their knowledge in the overall context of the system and deal with different modelling techniques. Since product success depends heavily on the collaboration of different domains in an agile context, it is essential to support uniform methods in the modelling process already on the tool side.

Challenges in the interdisciplinary development of cyber-physical systems are based in particular on the collaboration of different domain experts, the lack of an underlying (explicit) semantics for modelling techniques used, and tool support for the efficient and agile further development of systems. Techniques such as abstraction, composition and refinement have already been intensively researched, but still find little application in the industrial context. Although modern tools in systems engineering already offer a variety of modelling techniques, developers receive little support in managing complexity. The modelling process itself is methodologically poorly guided, so that much potential remains unused.

The aim of this workshop is to promote new methods and tools in the MBSE context. The focus will be especially on the connection of theory and practice, the sustainable mastery of complexity in development, as well as the placement of the model in a semantic context.

This workshop is organised by the BMBF project “SysML Workbench für die SPES Methodik” - SpesML. However, submissions are especially requested that do not come directly from the SpesML project. The aim is to achieve an exchange of approaches and to stimulate an intensive discussion”.

Title and Aims of the Workshop

State of the Art Methods and Tools in Model-Based Systems Engineering

The workshop aims to promote the development and discussion of new approaches, procedures, methods and tools for modelling cyber-physical systems and their transfer into industrial practice. We invite high-quality contributions to this workshop from researchers and practitioners who wish to stimulate this discussion and help shape the design of new, improved approaches.

Topics

The workshop defines the following four categories of contributions for these topics, each of which should address dedicated questions. Submissions should clearly indicate which of these categories they address:

Category 1 “Problems and Challenges”: Contributions in this category should describe currently identified challenges. These can be motivated by industry as well as a research question. The challenges should be explained with examples and, if possible, their extent should be quantified.

  • What specific challenge does the submitted paper consider and why will this challenge be relevant for the model-based development of cyber-physical systems in the future?

  • Systematic analysis of the state of the art today and the framework conditions that possible solutions must take into account.

  • Illustration based on a meaningful example.

  • Quantification or estimatation of the scale of the challenge and/or its impact.

  • Reference to industrial practice.

Category 2 “Models, methods and analyses”: In this category, new models, methods and analyses for the model-based development of cyber-physical systems will be presented. The following questions are to be discussed within the contributions:

  • Brief motivation: What specific challenge does the submitted contribution address and why will this challenge be relevant in the future?

  • Description of the technical solution approach: What approach is proposed to solve the challenge?

  • Clarification of the solution approach using a practical example.

Category 3 “Consistent tool support for MBSE”: This category includes tools and plugins for solving specific challenges in the field of MBSE. Here, new technical solutions to known problems can be presented and discussed. The following aspects should be considered:

  • Which challenges are addressed by the tool?

  • Theory vs. practice: What formal foundations is the tool based on and what advantages does it offer for users in industry?

  • A case study (preferably on an existing problem) for concrete demonstration of applicability.

  • Comparison with existing tools and discussion of advantages and disadvantages of the presented approach (with regard to concrete applicability).

Category 4 “Experience, applications and examples in practice”: Case studies and approaches to transfer new methods into industrial practice. Papers in this category should describe positive and negative experiences in the transfer or evaluation of a new approach to solving a known challenge in industry and, if possible, back up these experiences with figures. The following questions should be discussed in the papers:

  • What was the initial situation and what specific challenges were to be solved with the new solution approach?

  • How were the methods and solution approaches introduced?

  • What positive and negative effects has the introduction had? Can these be supported with figures (quantitatively)?

  • What qualitative experiences were made during the introduction of the new solution approach?

Possible topics for workshop contributions in the above categories include:

  • Modelling methodology

  • Modelling languages (for systems engineering) and their semantics

  • MBSE tools for cyber-physical systems

  • Integration/interoperability of different modelling domains

  • Model-based simulation

  • Model transformations, model evolution and model integration

  • System qualities of cyber-physical systems (e.g. system function, behaviour, reliability, validation and verification, variability)

Expected Results of the Workshop

The aim of the workshop is an intensive exchange of experience between representatives of research and industry. We want to develop a common understanding of the challenges facing industry and the model-based solutions available from research. In addition, it will be clarified how model-based solutions can be further developed and transferred into industrial practice.

Explanation of the submission and review process for workshop contributions

The workshop is planned as an open event with a total of six regular contributions in the lecture section. Contributions to the workshop can be submitted as long papers (up to 14+4 pages) and short papers (up to 8 pages). The page limits are binding and include bibliography and appendices. Contributions must be submitted in .PDF format via EasyChair, use the LNI template and follow the author guidelines of the Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V..

All submissions will be independently peer-reviewed by at least two members of the Programme Committee. Based on the review results, the appropriate technical papers will be selected for the workshop. All authors of submitted papers will also receive feedback on the content of their submission.

Acepted papers will be published in the common workshop proceedings in the Digital Library of the German Informatics Society.

Submission link: Easy Chair

Events (Deadlines extended)

  • 16.04.2022 Submission of the abstracts (optional)

  • 23.04.2022 01.05.2022 Submission of the contributions

  • 14.05.2022 22.05.2022 Notification of the acceptance decision

  • 26.05.2022 Submission of the final version

  • 27.06.2022 Workshop

Publications

The workshop papers will be included in the conference proceedings and published in the Digital Library of the Gesellschaft für Informatik.

Procedure

The workshop begins with a key note introducing the workshop topic. In the further course of the workshop, the contributions will be presented in presentation sessions. In addition, prepared and moderated discussion rounds on planned topics of the individual categories will take place for the participants.

In the presentation sessions, the contents of the accepted technical papers will be presented and discussed. Each presentation is scheduled for 20 minutes, followed by a discussion (10 minutes). During the discussion, participants are encouraged to critically reflect on the presentation, making references to the topic of the workshop from their own perspective. To stimulate the discussion, the workshop leader will also prepare questions to be answered by the presenter within his/her presentation. This should also encourage the discovery of cross-references between different contributions of the workshop.

In order to additionally promote cooperation among participants in the field of MBSE, dedicated discussion sessions on topics of the above-mentioned categories will be prepared. The workshop leaders will formulate central questions as an entry point. These questions are derived from the contents of the accepted submissions in order to additionally support intra- and interdisciplinary cooperation. In order to facilitate an easy entry into the discussion, additional media, posters and whiteboards for face-to-face events and corresponding digital boards for virtual events, are used similar to the dissonance method.

Agenda of the Workshop, 27.06.2022

  • 8:30-9:00 Registration

  • 9:30-10:30 Program

    • Introduction (Jansen)

    • Keynote - Und wo soll ich anfangen? Wie Einführung von MBSE in Organisationen klappen kann (Andreas Vogelsang)

    • Invited talk - MBSE @ Siemens Healthineers - Approach, Challenges and Case Study (Setzer)

  • 11:00-11:30 Coffee break (coffee and other drinks, snacks, in the foyer of the Forum)

  • 11:30-12:30 Program

    • Modeling an Anomaly Detection System with SpesML - An Experience Report (Femmer)

    • Implementation of the SpesML Workbench in MagicDraw (Regnat, Gupta)

  • 12:30-13:30 Lunch break (canteen, self-pay)

  • 13:30-15:00 Program

    • Challenges in Multi-View Model Consistency Management for Systems Engineering (Bergemann)

    • Embedding Textual Languages in MagicDraw (Drux)

    • Development of a SysML Profile for Network Configurations in Safety-critical Systems (Hemmert, Schweiger)

  • 15:00-15:30 Coffee break (coffee and other drinks, snacks, in the foyer of the Forum)

  • 15:30-16:30 Program

    • Invited talk - Anwendung und Evaluierung der SpesML bei einem Automobilzulieferer (Gross, Goger)

    • Machine Trainable Software Models towards a Cognitive Thinking AI with the Natural Language Processing Platform NLX (Schaller)

Program Committee

  • Andreas Bayha, fortiss

  • Wolfgang Böhm, Technische Universität München

  • Nico Jansen, RWTH Aachen University

  • Michael Jastram, Formal Mind GmbH

  • Maximilian Junker, Qualicen GmbH

  • Walter Koch, Schaeffler

  • Jan Philipps, foqee GmbH

  • David Schmalzing, RWTH Aachen University

  • Andreas Vogelsang, University of Cologne

  • Sebastian Voss, fortiss

Contact information of the workshop organisers

Dr. Wolfgang Böhm
Technische Universität München
Institut für Informatik ‐ Software & Systems Engineering
Boltzmannstraße 3
85748 Garching
Mail: boehmw@in.tum.de

David Schmalzing
Software Engineering
RWTH Aachen University
Ahornstraße 55
52074 Aachen
Mail: schmalzing@se-rwth.de

Nico Jansen
Software Engineering
RWTH Aachen University
Ahornstraße 55
52074 Aachen
Mail: jansen@se-rwth.de

The organisers have been involved in the organisation of a large number of workshops and conferences in the field of modelling and development of software-intensive cyber-physical systems.

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