4.1.2 Extending UML to Support a Systems Modeling Language

Abstract The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and the Object Management Group (OMG) are collaborating on an initiative to extend the Unified Modeling Language™ (UML™) to provide a general‐purpose systems modeling language. The language will support the specification, analysis, design, verification and validation of complex systems that include software‐intensive, information‐intensive, and physical systems. To achieve this goal, the OMG issued a UML for Systems Engineering Request for Proposal (UML for SE RFP) in March 2003. The modeling language that satisfies the requirements of this RFP will be a key enabler for transitioning the practice of systems engineering from a document‐centric to a model‐centric approach. This paper describes the technical approach and language features of the Systems Modeling Language (SysML), which is being proposed in response to the UML for SE RFP.