The NSV-1 Report Template
The NSV-1 report template synthesizes information about the composition and interaction of systems. This template is composed of four parameters:
• The Architecture to be analyzed.
• The Application Subset. This parameter is optional and is used to reduce the scope of the study to a subset of the different applications used in the architecture.
• The Artifact Subset. This is also an optional parameter. This is used to reduce the scope of the study to a selection of artifacts. If no artifact is selected, all the artifacts of the architecture are included in the analysis.
• The Resource Architecture Subset, which is also optional. This parameter is set with a subset of the resource architectures defined in the architecture. If this parameter is not set, all the resource architectures of the architecture are taken into account in the analysis.
The NSV-1 Application Composition Hierarchy Chapter
This chapter gives a view of the application hierarchies. Application Tree Diagrams are displayed with the complete structure, taking into account the optional scope.
The NSV-1 Application Specialization Hierarchy Chapter
The NSV-1 application specialization hierarchy chapter shows how the applications of the architecture are specialized.
The applications are presented in a table along with their comments and the library to which they belong. If a variant of an application is created, the varied application is presented in the table along with its variant.
To create new specializations (variants), use the New > Variant command on the application to be varied (specialized).
The NSV-1 Application Generalization Hierarchy Chapter
The NSV-1 application generalization hierarchy chapter shows how the applications of the architecture are generalized.
The applications are presented in table form along with their comments and the library to which they belong. If a variant of an application exists, this variant is also presented in the table along with the varied application (application from which the variant was created).
To add a new generalization, use the Connect > Variant Of command of the specialized item (variant).
The NSV-1 Application Dictionary Chapter
The Application Dictionary chapter lists the applications defined in the architecture in an alphabetical table. This enables the retrieval of items for which the names are known. It also displays the Application Structure diagram for the different applications.
The NSV-1 Application Exchange Balance Chapter
This chapter is used to verify that the exchanges defined between applications are correctly designed. All the incoming and outgoing exchanges of the applications are compared and examined to reveal missing as well as unnecessary information for the exchange design. The chapter lists all the internal and outside messages and interactions that detail the selected applications.
The NSV-1 Artifact Composition Hierarchy Chapter
This chapter gives a view of the artifact hierarchies. Artifact Tree Diagrams are displayed with the complete structure, taking into account the optional scope.
The NSV-1 Artifact Specialization Hierarchy Chapter
The NSV-1 artifact specialization hierarchy chapter shows how the artifacts of the architecture are specialized.
The artifacts are presented in a table along with their comments and the library to which they belong. If a variant of an artifact is created, the varied artifact is presented in the table along with its variant.
To create new specializations (variants), use the New > Variant command on the system process to be varied (specialized).
The NSV-1 Artifact Generalization Hierarchy Chapter
The NSV-1 artifact generalization hierarchy chapter shows how the artifacts of the architecture are generalized.
The artifacts are presented in table form along with their comments and the library to which they belong. If a variant of an artifact exists, this variant is also presented in the table along with the varied artifact (artifact from which the variant was created).
To add a new generalization, use the Connect > Variant Of command of the specialized item (variant).
The NSV-1 Artifact Dictionary Chapter
The Artifact Dictionary chapter lists the artifacts defined in the architecture in an alphabetical table. This enables the retrieval of items for which the names are known. It also displays the Artifact Structure diagram for the different artifacts.
The NSV-1 Artifact Exchange Balance Chapter
This chapter is used to verify that the exchanges defined between artifacts are correctly designed. All the incoming and outgoing exchanges of the artifacts are compared and examined to reveal missing as well as unnecessary information for the exchange design. The chapter lists all the internal and outside messages and interactions that detail the selected artifacts.
The NSV-1 Resource Architecture Composition Hierarchy Chapter
This chapter gives a view of the resource architecture hierarchies. Resource Architecture Tree Diagrams are displayed with the complete structure, taking into account the optional scope.
The NSV-1 Resource Architecture Specialization Hierarchy Chapter
The NSV-1 resource architecture specialization hierarchy chapter shows how the resource architectures of the architecture are specialized.
The resource architectures are presented in a table along with their comments and the library to which they belong. If a variant of a resource architecture is created, the varied resource architecture is presented in the table along with its variant.
To create new specializations (variants), use the New > Variant command on the system process to be varied (specialized).
The NSV-1 Resource Architecture Generalization Hierarchy Chapter
The NSV-1 resource architecture generalization hierarchy chapter shows how the resource architectures of the architecture are generalized.
The resource architectures are presented in table form along with their comments and the library to which they belong. If a variant of a resource architecture exists, this variant is also presented in the table along with the varied resource architecture (resource architecture from which the variant was created).
To add a new generalization, use the Connect > Variant Of command of the specialized item (variant).
The NSV-1 Resource Architecture Dictionary Chapter
The Resource Architecture Dictionary chapter lists the resource architectures defined in the architecture in an alphabetical table. This enables the retrieval of items for which the names are known. It also displays the Resource Architecture Structure diagram for the different resource architectures.
The NSV-1 Resource Architecture Exchange Balance Chapter
This chapter is used to verify that the exchanges defined between resource architectures are correctly designed. All the incoming and outgoing exchanges of the resource architectures are compared and examined to reveal missing as well as unnecessary information for the exchange design. The chapter lists all the internal and outside messages and interactions that detail the selected resource architectures.
The NSV-1 System Exchange Chapter
This chapter shows the diagrams that display information exchanges between systems. It also details the information exchange between the selected systems. All interactions connecting systems are displayed in a list with their name, the source, and target of the exchange and the information elements.
The NSV-1 System Exchange Compliance Chapter
This chapter indicates the level of compliance between the need to exchange information from one system to another and the information actually exchanged through the implemented missions.
Tasks supported by the systems actually exchange information within the context of designed missions. This information is compared with the need defined in the needlines/interactions. Missing or unexpected information is detected.
This chapter relies on the systems defined in the NSV-1 subview as well as the system processes that describe how missions are performed. These processes are described in detail in NSV-4, however, a brief description is necessary to aid in understanding the content of this chapter.
A system structure does not indicate how missions are performed. It only describes the systems involved in the mission and how they are structured. Through interactions, you can guess the potential information exchanges that occur between systems. To add a dynamic perspective to systems, a process must be described (see the NSV-4 subview). This process is composed of tasks that exchange information. Information is actually exchanged in the process while the system structure only describes the ability to perform such exchanges.
Tasks are performed under the control of resource architectures, applications and artifacts.
The System exchange compliance chapter identifies three states for the information exchange:
• Information Exchange Correctly Designed: an information item is defined at both the system and the process levels.
• Missing Information: an information item can potentially be exchanged between two systems, however, there is no process available to perform this exchange. The question is therefore, whether the interface described between the two systems is still useful.
• Unexpected Information: an information item is exchanged in a process between two activities (tasks), however, there is no interaction between the systems carrying out the activities (task). The question is therefore, should the information be exchanged in this manner in the process and must the interaction be reviewed to depict the ability to make such an exchange.