Fault modelling for systems of systems

This paper proposes a systematic model-based approach to the architectural description of faults and fault tolerance mechanisms in systems of systems (SoSs). The challenges of engineering dependable SoSs motivate a proposal for the view elements that would be needed to support a fault tolerance profile for SoSs using the Systems Modelling Language (SysML). The effectiveness of the approach is evaluated on a case study based on a real emergency response SoS. Results suggest that this is a promising approach, and that a comprehensive solution to the engineering of dependable SoSs requires that such a profile is linked to methods and tools for requirements elicitation, safety analysis, architectural design and formal verification.