Abstracting Complexity in MBSE Models: InTra - A Practical Approach for Rule-Based Model Transformation

The increasing complexity of system models poses significant challenges in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). Even relatively small models can quickly become overwhelming due to the multitude of relationships they contain, leading to potential errors during both modeling and evaluation phases. In this article, we address these challenges by introducing an interaction-centric, rule-based model transformation approach named InTra (Interaction-based Transformation). InTra effectively reduces model complexity by imposing constraints on connectors and elements through the application of interaction rules. The result is an abstract model characterized by a set of domain oriented rules, which significantly enhance the overall model comprehensibility. To validate the effectiveness of this approach, we applied this method to a real-world communication model within the military domain. Our findings indicate that InTra successfully improve the overall comprehensibility of system models. This approach contributes to the ongoing efforts to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of system modeling, particularly in scenarios where model complexity can have critical implications.