Whatever the day, week or year there will be models and designs which haven't been defined or formalised using an Architecture Framework (AF). We know that Model-based Systems Engineering best practice advises the use of an AF when developing a model of a System - but this doesn't mean it will always happen. Where organisations or industries don't have the necessary experience or maturity to carry out MBSE properly, all too often models will be developed without a Framework to guide them. In some cases these models maybe no more than unconnected representations and pictures which are described as “The design.”Even in cases where AFs are used in new projects, people often cite issues such as the AF stifling thinking or the level of rigour and rules, meaning people spend more time on thinking about the AF rather than the design. In these situations we need to find ways to bring the value of the AF without the pain which is perceived. This chapter discusses examples of these situations, focusing on how to take unconnected/uncontrolled pictures and bringing them together using Patterns, it also addresses pragmatic ways to approach this for those who want an unconstrained approach but recognise they need a formalised output.

Chapter Contents:

• 22.1 Introduction
• 22.2 An unstructured model
• 22.2.1 Formalising Context
• 22.2.2 Formalising Structure
• 22.2.3 Formalising Interfaces
• 22.2.4 Formalisation summary
• 22.3 Other applications
• 22.4 Summary
• Further readings

Inspec keywords: software architecture; object-oriented programming; software maintenance

Other keywords: patterns; model retrofitting; architecture framework; MBSE; AF; model-based systems engineering

Subjects: Software engineering techniques; Object-oriented programming