Introduction to Systems Modelling

Abstract

Engineering is about designing system solutions that fulfil requirements for what we expect the system to do. Systems modelling is an essential part of the concep­tual tools we use for visualizing possible solutions, be it just in our minds, on a white board, on paper, or with the aid of a computerized tool. We need models to understand the complexity of systems, to validate that the system will satisfy requirements and to trust that the system will work, long before it is implemented. We might also use system models to support the design, the implementation and the testing of components of our systems. In that case, we need formal modelling languages to use the computer to help us translate the system model into the soft­ware and hardware components we need to build real systems.