Editorial for IEEE access special section on theoretical foundations for big data applications : challenges and opportunities

Big data is one of the hottest research topics in science and technology communities, and it possesses a great application potential in every sector for our society, such as climate, economy, health, social science, and so on. Big data usually includes data sets with sizes beyond the ability of commonly used software tools to capture, curate, and manage. We can conclude that big data is still in its infancy stage, and we will face many unprecedented problems and challenges along the way of this unfolding chapter of human history

System architectures assessment based on network metrics

Characterising system architectures and describing a system’s properties using quantitative metrics is required for the comparison and evaluation of engineering systems. The aim of this article is to discuss the assessment of system architectures based on network metrics derived from literature. In this paper, network metrics such as interaction density, Newman modularity index (Q), centrality measures, cyclomatic number, and graph energy measure are included into a methodological approach for evaluating five hypothetical system architecture patterns: bus-modular, sequential, hierarchical, core-periphery and integral. Network and graph theory offer a conceptual approach to model and analyse engineering system architectures. The contribution of the article is a network metrics assessment founded on describing emergent system architecture properties as integrality, modularity, centrality, cyclicality and complexity for holistically assessing system architectures. The network metrics offer quantitative tools to gain valuable insights and can function as decision aid tools during the redesign and early development of engineering systems

System of Systems Architecting Problems: Definitions, Formulations, and Analysis

The system of systems architecting has many applications in transportation, healthcare, and defense systems design. This study first presents a short review of system of systems definitions. We then focus on capability-based system of systems architecting. In particular, capability-based system of systems architecting problems with various settings, including system flexibility, fund allocation, operational restrictions, and system structures, are presented as Multi-Objective Nonlinear Integer Programming problems. Relevant solution methods to analyze these problems are also discussed

APPLICATIONS OF GRAPH THEORY FOR REUSE OF MODEL BASED SYSTEMS ENGINEERING DESIGN DATA

This dissertation contributes to systems engineering (SE) by introducing and demonstrating a novel graph-based design repository (GBDR) tool. GBDR enables engineers to leverage system design information from a heterogenous set of system models created using multiple model based systems engineering (MBSE) software tools as an integrated body of knowledge. Specifically, the research provides a set of approaches that allow the use of system models described in Systems Modeling Language and Lifecycle Modeling Language as an integrated body of design information. The coalesced body of system design information serves to support concept ideation and analysis within SE. The research accomplishes this by using a graph database to store system model information imported from digital artifacts created by MBSE tools and applying principles from graph theory and semantic web technologies to identify likely connections and equivalent concepts across system models, modeling languages, and metamodels. The research demonstrates that the presented tool can import, store, synthesize, search, display, distribute, and export information from multiple MBSE tools. As a practical demonstration, feasible subsystem design alternatives for a small unmanned aircraft system government reference architecture are identified from within a set of existing system models.OSD CAPECivilian, Office of the Secretary of DefenseApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited