Simulation and Modeling of Systems of Systems

Introduction

In fields such as aeronautics, transport, telecommunications, banking, or defense, systems are becoming increasingly complex, containing more and more components, with significant heterogeneity and disparate lifecycles. The update process that follows the increasingly rapid obsolescence of sub-systems requires a priori mastery of architectures of systems of which we do not know the component configuration. Risk mitigation in the different phases of the project (from the expression of need to implementation, or even withdrawal, considering environmental protection constraints) thus becomes an essential consideration throughout the whole lifecycle of the system.

Needs have also evolved. Demands in terms of performance, interoperability, cost, security, and reliability have reached a level where each project becomes a technical and managerial challenge. It is, therefore, necessary to attain new levels of flexibility and reactivity in exploring system concepts. The changeable nature of the environment and the necessary capacity of the system to adapt to different evolutions contribute to its complexity. Moreover, the generalization of information and communication technologies pushes towards the interconnection of systems, leading to systems of systems, reinforced by the context of globalization of exchanges giving rise to shared developments between economic partners: this raises questions of integration, coherency, and interoperability of one system with a higher-level ...