Requirements management within a full model-based engineering approach

In this paper we show how the Property-Based Requirements (PBR) theory can be used to fully integrate Requirements Engineering (RE) into a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) method using OMG UML and its SysML profile. The objective is to avoid in-parallel management of two distinct expressions of the same specification (or design): once in a set of textual requirements and once in a model, which must be maintained to be consistent. This is achieved by the identification, in common modeling concepts, of Requirement Tracker Artifacts (RTA) that match the pattern defined by the Property-Based Requirement theory. An illustration is provided with both the UML and SysML modeling language. We also outline how relationships defined by construction in the model can be exploited to carry out requirements management activities without addition of dedicated and redundant data. (c) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.