Course: Practical systems engineering with the OMG's Systems Modeling Language™ (SysML™) and the SysML Plugin for MagicDraw™

A hands-on Webel IT Australia seminar presentation course and workshop held over 5-days by presenter Dr Darren, who is recognised as a leader in model-based and graphical software and systems engineering technologies and worked as an expert consultant on MagicDraw™ UML and the MD SysML Plugin.

Typical SysML course outline and slide examples

• To see examples of some (older) course slides as a gallery please scroll down below the Course Table of Contents links.
• Visit also this list of other SysML diagram examples: Galleries index: Systems Modeling Language (SysML)

Contents of: Course: Practical systems engineering with the OMG's Systems Modeling Language™ (SysML™) and the SysML Plugin for MagicDraw™

• About SysML, MagicDraw's SysML Plugin, and this course
• About UML Parsing Analysis and SysML Parsing Analysis for document-driven systems engineering
• People who could benefit from this course:
• Engineers and Technicians developing complex electrical, mechanical, optical, acoustic, radar, and mechatronic systems requiring graphical systems engineering tool support.
• Logistics and Acquisition Managers interested in graphical tracking of systems elements.
• Requirements Analysts, Systems Analysts, Constraints Analysts, and Systems Architects interested in integrated systems engineering tool support and graphical engineering.
• Scientists interested in graphical associative analysis, modelling, and simulation of systems such as scientific beam instruments, complex natural systems, and taxonomies.
• Technical Project Managers interested in highly traceable systems engineering and strongly process-driven development for wide range of existing development methodologies.
• Day 1 | Overview of UML2 and SysML for systems engineering | MagicDraw UML and the MD SysML Plugin |
• Overview of UML2+ and SysML1+ for systems engineering
• Why graphical, associative, port-based, and patch-based "synthesis engineering" is (potentially) so powerful.
• Graphical engineering + Text-based engineering: the best of both worlds
• What is Associative engineering ?
• What UML is and how and why it has been traditionally used “just” for software engineering.
• UML2 Connector: Example: Home Entertainment System progressively "connected up"
• Why UML does not handle some systems engineering tasks and physical systems well.
• UML2 Components: very useful for systems engineering, but NOT formally in SysML.
• What SysML is and why you should consider it for your systems engineering projects.
• Anatomy of the SysML Block element
• Dr Darren's SysML Block reference "poster"
• Overview of the SysML Diagrams (and the UML Diagrams they are adapted from).
• SysML Block Definition Diagram (BDD) in MD SysML
• SysML Package Diagram
• Some example systems used in this course:
• Example: the SysML specification's Hybrid Sports Utility Vehicle (HSUV)
• Example: port-based engineering example: a modular home entertainment system
• Example: signal processing: the Drancing real-time synthesis accelerometer music system.
• Group demonstration of Wii remote version with wireless Bluetooth telemetry
• Example: MagicDraw UML and MD SysML: the MagicCastle system.
• Example: the participants' own domain-specific workshop case study.
• Aspects of UML2 useful for systems engineering, and how SysML builds on them
• Ownership of Elements: Packages, Models, and Components as Namespaces.
• UML Classes, UML Properties, and Class Diagrams.
• UML Class (and Component) metaclass hierarchy
• Representation of Multiplicities and AggregationKind
• UML StructuredClassifier
• UML Properties as “attributes” of a Class and as Association ends.
• Representations of a UML Property: text attributes, Association ends, Property symbols.
• UML Ports, Connectors, and the EncapulatedClassifier
• UML2 Port
• A Port may provide and/or require Interfaces
• MD UML: displaying Interfaces provided/required by predefined Port classes
• MD UML: HOWTO provide/require Interfaces via Ports
• MD UML: Using a Class with Ports in a higher level system
• UML EncapsulatedClassifiers and the Holon principle.
• A simplified vehicle as a holonic composite
• UML2 Composite Structure Diagrams and Properties as carriers of "shallow" initial (construction) values
• The UML Interface as Operations and/or data contract: not only for software systems.
• The UML2 “ball and socket” notation: providing/requiring Interface contracts via Ports
• MagicDraw UML: Interfaces provided/required by predefined Port classes
• Service orientation: MD UML: Class with Ports providing/requiring Interfaces
• Architectural “Dependency wiring” of Interface contracts in MagicDraw UML
• Example: Using an "instance" of a Class with Ports in a higher level system
• UsageContext: plan connections first using architectural Dependency wiring
• Example: UsageContext IBD
• Example: UsageContext: tuning the associative class diagram after composite structure creation
• UsageContext: Composite Structure Diagram
• Structure compartments in MagicDraw UML Class Diagrams and "hybrid" diagrams
• UML2 Composite Structure diagrams
• The “fork/lollipop” notation for provided/required Interfaces.
• "To Frame or not to Frame ? That is the question !"
• Connectors in UML Composite Structure Diagrams
• Connectors as “instances” of Associations.
• UML InformationFlows for conveying information.
• UML2 InformationFlows in MagicDraw UML
• UML DataTypes as conveyed data tokens
• Power features of MagicDraw UML and the MD SysML Plugin
• SysML stereotypes and MD SysML additional stereotypes
• logical vs. physical in MagicDraw UML 15
• MD SysML: active validation
• UML2 (and the UML specifications) vs. MagicDraw UML vs. MD SysML
• The UML2 Metamodel, the UML specification, and how to (not) read it.
• The UML2 Metamodel in MagicDraw UML specification dialogs.
• The UML2 Metaclasses in MagicDraw UML (and what they are not).
• UML2 Comments: a real and very useful Element (that is stored in the project "repository") !
• UML2 Artifacts: very useful for systems engineering, but NOT formally in SysML.
• UML2 Components: very useful for systems engineering, but NOT formally in SysML.
• UML2 Constraints: defining them, representing them
• UML2 InstanceSpecifications and value Slots: representing value states of systems
• A serious limitation of InstancesSpecifications for systems engineering: no Ports !
• Day 2 | SysML: history, specification, metamodel | structure, flow, quantity, value, configuration, context, time, space |
• Overview of the SysML specification and the OMG's revision process
• The SysML diagrams, elements, profiles, stereotypes, and notations
• Representing structure: the SysML Block, Ports, Connectors
• The SysML Block: an extension of the UML Class
• FAQ: Why does the classifier-level Block stereotype show on parts in an IBD ?
• SysML "block properties"
• MD SysML: BlockProperty extensions
• AbstractReferenceProperty
• Part Properties example
• Understanding system context in SysML
• Non-normative SysML Block stereotypes
• Example: MagicCastle (BDD)
• Example: MagicCastle (IBD)
• Example: MagicUniverse (IBD): context diagram
• Example: Alternative: MagicCastle used in MagicUniverse context: frameless
• SysML Port and FlowPort
• The SysML Standard Port
• Example: block compartment display of Ports
• Example: compartment display of Ports: Class vs. Component
• Representing flows: the SysML FlowPort, FlowSpecification, and ItemFlow
• Example: MD SysML: "nested" FlowPort within Port combined with SysML ItemFlow and ItemProperty
• Example: MonitoringComputer (BDD)
• Example: Stereo FlowSpecification
• [Advanced] ItemFlow: metaclasses and some issues
• MD SysML supports "nested" ports !
• Consider using "nested" Ports for separation of physical plug/socket contract from signal protocol
• Example: nested Ports: HiFi "producer" and "consumer"
• Example: Let the HiFis flow
• Example: Object Monitor: Combining standard Ports and SysML FlowPorts: building blocks and Ports as BDD
• Example: MonitoringComputer (IBD) using nested ports
• Example: SysML spec Water Spigot problem reworked to use "nested" Ports instead of SysML FlowSpecfiications.
• Example: nested Ports for water flow: House (IBD)
• Representing physical, industrial, and financial quantities in SysML
• Example: a Structured ValueType
• Representing value state and modes of complex systems in SysML
• Block definitions for PropertySpecificTypes as instance value carriers
• Example: BirthdayParty BDD: Block and value Property definitions for Definition View
• Example: BirthdayParty IBD
• Example: Child breathes in before inflating Balloon more
• Progressive initialisation of value state using the UML2 Property.defaultValue (in SysML1.1 "initial values")
• Example: the BeerMachine: from BDD with "instance value carriers" to usage in IBD
• [Advanced] Example: initialise value at a Port
• Example: Use a Battery
• Why UML2 InstanceSpecifications can't be used generally for SysML "instance/object views"
• Mathematical Constraints analysis in SysML
• SysML BindingContext
• SysML Constraint Property
• Day 3 | Behavior, State, Requirements, Allocation | Process Management, Project Management, Human Management |
• Modelling Behavior and State in SysML
• SysML extends UML2 Activities and Activity Diagrams
• Control as data: control values and control operators.
• MD SysML (15.1): SysML Activity metaclasses
• Continuous systems
• Probability
• Why you should always (and I really mean always) use explicit Pins on Activities
• What's wrong with the UML2 ObjectNode (and every UML2 compliant tool)
• [Advanced] Activities as Classes and “Activity decomposition”.
• [Advanced] Swimlane Allocation
• SysML1.0 adds no additional stereotypes to UML2 StateMachines
• Live demo: representing States of the participant's case study problem.
• Use Cases in SysML
• SysML1.0 introduces no additional Use Case stereotypes beyond UML2.
• MD UML: Use Cases: accessing additional metadata from extended profile
• Using SysML Requirements
• The normative SysML Requirement
• The very useful non-normative SysML requirement extensions
• Deriving one Requirement from another with SysML DerivedReqt
• Refining descriptions of Requirements with other element types using SysML Refine
• The SysML Satisfy relationship: tracing fulfillment of Requirements
• The SysML Verify relationship, TestCase, and VerdictKind
• [Non-standard] on applying the SysML «requirement» Stereotype to UML2 Components.
• HOWTO elicit SysML Requirements and how to relate them to other elements.
• HOWTO callout SysML requirements metadata into UML notes in MagicDraw UML
• HOWTO use hyperlinks and related elements in MagicDraw to trace between source
• Allocation in SysML
• Allocation, AllocateFrom, AllocateTo
• The infamous and subtle allocation direction “gotcha”.
• HOWTO «allocate» form one element to another element in MD SysML
• [Advanced] The SysML AllocateActivityPartition
• [Advanced] The MD SysML allocation table (dynamically generated matrix)
• Example: decomposing a complex flow using allocations
• Using SysML for Project Management
• Combining SysML with your favourite systems engineering process
• Modelling development process with Activities
• Hyperlinking from Artifacts to external documents and resources
• Using Stereotypes to carry project metadata
• Stereotype driven development process
• Recording the status of elements and test results as “tagged values”
• Tracking human resources and working groups using Actors
• Relating Actor elements to other model elements
• People vs. Roles
• Generating model reports using MagicDraw UML and MD SysML
• Day 4 | SysML review, MD SysML tips, fun examples, questions | The UML- and SysML Parsing analysis recipes |
• More TIPS for using SysML in MD SysML
• Exploit the powerful hyperlinking and diagram icon facilities of MagicDraw for easy cross-navigation between elements, packages, models and diagrams
• Watch out for module Dependencies !
• Really very tricky MagicDraw UML tricks
• MD SysML: Convert PartProperty to Port
• MD UML: Convert to attribute Property
• TIP: Use a BlockPackage or BlockModel to group a Block and supporting elements
• On combining UML and SysML to get the best of both worlds in SysML tools
• SysML Review and Question time
• Every diagram of the SysML Hybrid Sports Utility Vehicle sample problem from the SysML specification (in MD SysML)
• The MD SysML BeerMachine with value state and other fun and interesting examples
• Discussion point: what SysML does not include and can't do (yet).
• Limitations of SysML views and viewpoints (and why Dr Darren claims his wrapper Components are better).
• The UML- and SysML Parsing Analysis recipes for sentence-by-sentence systems engineering
• From engineering documents in natural language to understandable SysML models.
• Exercise: choose a source text document (usually a technical description of your system) from your own domain.
• Exercise: choose an interesting source article from the Wikipedia and represent it as a hyperlinked Artifact and source text Stereotype for wrapper Components
• To make the recipe work you need the UML2 Component (not officially in SysML)
• The SysML Parsing Analysis recipe (currently) works best in the MagicDraw UML and MD SysML tools.
• The UML2 Component as logical and graphical «wrapper»
• Ownership and the UML2 Component
• “To steal, or not to steal ownership; that is the tool vendor question”
• HOWTO nest «wrapper» Components to reflect source text paragraph structure
• Hyperlinked “focus diagrams” for «wrapper» Components
• HOWTO trace participation in logical «wrapper» Components: "unwrapping"
• Motto: In MagicDraw UML the Display Related Elements feature is your very good friend.
• Tracing automatically generated ComponentRealizations
• The «realizations» compartment
• Tracing manually created Dependencies FROM «wrapper» Components TO analysis elements
• HOWTO separate parsing analysis elements and «source» text «wrapper» Components in Models from systems elements in Packages
• Protecting modularisation: On the issue of Relationships from packaged systems elements to source text wrapper Components in "focus diagrams"
• Day 5 | Workshops | SysML Parsing Analysis of your own technical document into SysML models | Team presentations, group discussion |
• Workshop | morning | SysML Parsing Analysis of a document of your choice in MD SysML |
• Participants will spend the morning working through an engineering document of their choice, extracting SysML model elements using sentence-by-sentence parsing analysis.
• Participants are encouraged to model from their own team, role, and domain perspectives
• The presenter will offer assistance throughout on modelling and tool features.
• There will be the opportunity for freestyle diagramming to prepare a presentation of results.
• Workshop | afternoon | team presentations followed by discussions of each team's SysML models | conclusion |
• On conclusion the course presenter will demonstrate his own SysML Parsing Analysis of the parts of the same case study document for comparison and group discussion.
• Participants will take turns to present their SysML models in teams by data projector for group discussion.

Selected slides from the (now OBSOLETE) SysML v1.2 workshop course

The SysML Standard Port	UML2 Port	The SysML Block: an extension of the UML Class
SysML stereotypes and MD SysML additional stereotypes	Example: Using an "instance" of a Class with Ports in a higher level system	Representing structure: the SysML Block, Ports, Connectors
UML Classes, UML Properties, and Class Diagrams.	Ownership of Elements: Packages, Models, and Components as Namespaces.	Representation of Multiplicities and AggregationKind
The “fork/lollipop” notation for provided/required Interfaces.	The UML2 Metamodel, the UML specification, and how to (not) read it.	A simplified vehicle as a holonic composite
UML2 Connector: Example: Home Entertainment System progressively "connected up"	logical vs. physical in MagicDraw UML 15	Why you should always (and I really mean always) use explicit Pins on Activities
UML2 InformationFlows in MagicDraw UML	Graphical engineering + Text-based engineering: the best of both worlds	What is Associative engineering ?
Software: Ports promote reuse through "horizontal" aggregation in addition to "vertical" inheritance	Some recomended naming conventions for port-based engineering in MagicDraw UML	UML2 notation: a Class with Ports providing/requiring Interfaces
UsageContext: plan connections first using architectural Dependency wiring	MagicDraw UML: Interfaces provided/required by predefined Port classes	MD SysML: active validation
MD UML: Use Cases: accessing additional metadata from extended profile	MD UML: Convert to attribute Property	MD SysML: Convert PartProperty to Port
TIP: Use a BlockPackage or BlockModel to group a Block and supporting elements	Part Properties example	Example: Child breathes in before inflating Balloon more
Example: BirthdayParty IBD	Example: BirthdayParty BDD: Block and value Property definitions for Definition View	Why UML2 InstanceSpecifications can't be used generally for SysML "instance/object views"
AbstractReferenceProperty	Use Cases in SysML	Using SysML Requirements
SysML Constraint Property	SysML BindingContext	Example: MagicCastle (BDD)
Example: MagicCastle (IBD)	Example: MagicUniverse (IBD): context diagram	Service orientation: MD UML: Class with Ports providing/requiring Interfaces
Example: Using a port-based HiFi via a "serviceProvider" contract	Example: nested Ports: HiFi "producer" and "consumer"	Example: Let the HiFis flow
Example: the BeerMachine: from BDD with "instance value carriers" to usage in IBD	Consider using "nested" Ports for separation of physical plug/socket contract from signal protocol	Example: SysML spec Water Spigot problem reworked to use "nested" Ports instead of SysML FlowSpecfiications.
Example: nested Ports for water flow: House (IBD)	[Advanced] Example: initialise value at a Port	Example: Use a Battery
[Advanced] ItemFlow: metaclasses and some issues	Example: MonitoringComputer (BDD)	Example: Object Monitor: Combining standard Ports and SysML FlowPorts: building blocks and Ports as BDD
Example: MonitoringComputer (IBD) using nested ports	Example: compartment display of Ports: Class vs. Component	Example: UsageContext: tuning the associative class diagram after composite structure creation
A Port may provide and/or require Interfaces	MD UML: HOWTO provide/require Interfaces via Ports	MD UML: displaying Interfaces provided/required by predefined Port classes
MD UML: Using a Class with Ports in a higher level system	SysML Package Diagram	UML StructuredClassifier
Example: port-based engineering example: a modular home entertainment system	"To Frame or not to Frame ? That is the question !"	The UML2 Metamodel in MagicDraw UML specification dialogs.
Example: MagicDraw UML and MD SysML: the MagicCastle system.	UML Properties as “attributes” of a Class and as Association ends.	The UML2 Metaclasses in MagicDraw UML (and what they are not).
UML2 Comments: a real and very useful Element (that is stored in the project "repository") !	UML Ports, Connectors, and the EncapulatedClassifier	UML2 Artifacts: very useful for systems engineering, but NOT formally in SysML.
Overview of the SysML Diagrams (and the UML Diagrams they are adapted from).	The UML Interface as Operations and/or data contract: not only for software systems.	UML2 Components: very useful for systems engineering, but NOT formally in SysML.
HOWTO trace participation in logical «wrapper» Components: "unwrapping"	The UML2 “ball and socket” notation: providing/requiring Interface contracts via Ports	UML2 (and the UML specifications) vs. MagicDraw UML vs. MD SysML
UML2 Constraints: defining them, representing them	Mathematical Constraints analysis in SysML	Architectural “Dependency wiring” of Interface contracts in MagicDraw UML
UML EncapsulatedClassifiers and the Holon principle.	UML2 InstanceSpecifications and value Slots: representing value states of systems	A serious limitation of InstancesSpecifications for systems engineering: no Ports !
Connectors in UML Composite Structure Diagrams	Connectors as “instances” of Associations.	Structure compartments in MagicDraw UML Class Diagrams and "hybrid" diagrams
UML2 Composite Structure Diagrams and Properties as carriers of "shallow" initial (construction) values	Representations of a UML Property: text attributes, Association ends, Property symbols.	UML2 Composite Structure diagrams
UML InformationFlows for conveying information.	UML DataTypes as conveyed data tokens	UsageContext: Composite Structure Diagram
UML2 Components: very useful for systems engineering, but NOT formally in SysML.

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