Hierarchical Context Diagrams with UML: An Experience Report on Satellite Ground System Analysis

Abstract

Although the UML was mainly designed for software development, we have introduced its use in the requirements analysis phase of the ground segment of a complete satellite system. In the first part of the paper, we present the subset of UML, consisting mainly in Use Cases and Interaction diagrams, that we have used for the requirements analysis phase. We insist on the need to define precisely the scope of the problem, its environment. We mostly assert that the “Context diagram” from traditional structured methods is still relevant in an object-oriented approach, and furthermore that it can be adequately represented by a special usage of the UML Collaboration diagram. This Context diagram can even take into account progressively the underlying physical architecture of satellite systems. The second part of the paper is more prospective: it aims at extracting Context diagrams patterns, and proposes specific stereotypes for satellite system analysis.