Patterns are not invented or created from a clean sheet of paper. The term normally equated with patterns is that they are mined from previously successful implementations. The Perform Command and Control (Perform C2) pattern was first implemented successfully as the logical architecture, and then reused in later projects with similar requirements. In fact, most of the logical architecture was reusable, though some of the terminology had to be changed for the new customer domain. A year later, a mid-grade architect assigned to a similar project and his mentor told him about this previous work.
The two architects went back to the earlier project models, and used them to guide the future logical architecture. Soon after this, these architects found out about my research in systems engineering patterns. We went back and mined the logical architecture in all 3 systems. Each was documented using IDEF diagrams, which made the effort a bit easier. Using the SE pattern form discussed last time, the Perform C2 pattern was documented and published.
When mining patterns of this nature, it is recommended the pattern author generalize the inputs and outputs into terminology that may be more meaningful for the individual wanting to reuse the pattern. For instance, “battle damage assessment” may be simplified to “damage assessment”, or even simply “assessment”.
When using the pattern for a new implementation, study the requirements and decide which interfaces are needed, and which are missing. If an interface is not necessary, delete it when you implement the pattern (be sure to trace it through the pattern to remove all traces). If a new interface is needed for the specific domain implementation, feel free to add it to the implementation.
I am in the process of developing a separate website for systems engineering patterns. The site is found at http://www.patterns4SE.com and it will allow others to submit patterns to be shared with the broader systems engineering community. I am interested in your thoughts and feedback, and how we can provide a greater service to the SE community.
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