ISO/IEC/IEEE 21841:2019
(Main)Systems and software engineering — Taxonomy of systems of systems
Systems and software engineering — Taxonomy of systems of systems
This document defines a normalized taxonomy for systems of systems (SoS) to facilitate communications among stakeholders. It also briefly explains what a taxonomy is and how it applies to the SoS to aid in understanding and communication.
Ingénierie système et logiciel — Taxonomie des systèmes de systèmes
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INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC/
STANDARD IEEE
First edition
2019-07
Corrected version
2019-09
Systems and software engineering —
Taxonomy of systems of systems
Ingénierie système et logiciel — Taxonomie des systèmes de systèmes
Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2019
©
IEEE 2019
© ISO/IEC 2019
© IEEE 2019
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO or IEEE at the
respective address below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8 3 Park Avenue, New York
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva NY 10016-5997, USA
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org Email: stds.ipr@ieee.org
Website: www.iso.org Website: www.ieee.org
Published in Switzerland
© ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved
ii © IEEE 2019 – All rights reserved
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 General terms . 1
3.2 SoS types. 2
4 Concepts and application . 3
4.1 Overview . 3
4.2 Importance of taxonomies to SoS . 3
4.3 Use of SoS taxonomies . 3
5 Taxonomies for systems of systems . 4
5.1 General . 4
5.2 Taxa: directed, acknowledged, collaborative and virtual . 4
5.2.1 Overview . 4
5.2.2 Description of the taxa . 4
5.2.3 Examples of potential application of the taxa . 5
5.2.4 When to use . 5
5.2.5 How to use . 5
5.2.6 Why to use . 6
5.2.7 Limitations . 6
5.2.8 Benefits of use . 6
Annex A (informative) Summary of SoS taxonomies . 7
Bibliography . 8
IEEE notices and abstract . 9
© ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved
© IEEE 2019 – All rights reserved iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that
are members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through
technical committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of
technical activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other
international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also
take part in the work.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
IEEE Standards documents are developed within the IEEE Societies and the Standards Coordinating
Committees of the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Standards Board. The IEEE develops its
standards through a consensus development process, approved by the American National Standards
Institute, which brings together volunteers representing varied viewpoints and interests to achieve the
final product. Volunteers are not necessarily members of the Institute and serve without compensation.
While the IEEE administers the process and establishes rules to promote fairness in the consensus
development process, the IEEE does not independently evaluate, test, or verify the accuracy of any of
the information contained in its standards.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject
of patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent
rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the
Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents) or the IEC
list of patent declarations received (see http:// patents .iec .ch).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 7, Systems and software engineering, in cooperation with the Systems and Software
Engineering Standards Committee of IEEE Computer Society, under the Partner Standards Development
Organization cooperation agreement between ISO and IEEE.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
This corrected version of ISO/IEC/IEEE 21841:2019 incorporates the following correction:
— The publication date on the cover page has been corrected.
© ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved
iv © IEEE 2019 – All rights reserved
Introduction
Systems of systems engineering (SoSE) is a concept that is increasingly thought of as a discipline
important for the realization and sustainability of large and persistent sociotechnical systems in areas
as diverse as healthcare, transportation, energy, defense, corporations, cities and government.
While SoSE applies broadly to hardware, software, middle-ware as well as embedded, cyber-physical
and digital systems, the importance of SoSE has been heightened in the last fifteen years by the rapid
increase in the pervasiveness of information technology (IT), illustrated by new technologies and
paradigms such as Sensor Networks, Cloud Computing, the Internet of Things, Big Data, Smart Devices
and Artificial Intelligence. It is, for instance, the application of these technologies to cities that transform
them into “smarter” cities.
This pervasiveness of IT was not only driven by the availability of these technologies, but also more
importantly by the requirements in our resource and environmentally-constrained world for increased
and sustainable economic development and, ultimately, personal well-being.
SoSE goes well beyond IT and potentially applies to all types of systems, including hardware and
cyber physical systems where IT is an enabler. SoSE addresses functionality, performance and
interdependencies of the systems as well as their connectivity. The interconnectivity of systems has
become pervasive in large command and control systems, defense systems, communications systems,
transportation systems and medical/health systems, among others. The accelerating need to share
information and leverage capabilities from other systems has changed how systems need to be viewed
and engineered.
Taxonomies provide a means in many fields to classify and describe the relationships among the
relevant elements being studied. The elements of a taxonomy, or taxa, form a partitioning or means of
classification within that body of knowledge. In the context of systems of systems (SoS), the relevant
elements of the system of interest are, by definition, systems themselves. Using essential characteristics
to partition the various types of SoS provides an abbreviated nomenclature for thinking about SoS.
Based on taxonomies, different approaches to the engineering of systems of systems are possible,
improving the efficiency and effectiveness of systems of systems engineering.
© ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved
© IEEE 2019 – All rights reserved v
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC/IEEE 21841:2019(E)
Systems and software engineering — Taxonomy of systems
of systems
1 Scope
This document defines a normalized taxonomy for systems of systems (SoS) to facilitate communications
among stakeholders. It also briefly explains what a taxonomy is and how it applies to the SoS to aid in
understanding and communication.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
NOTE For additional terms and definitions in the field of systems and software engineering, see
ISO/IEC/IEEE 24765, which is published periodically as a “snapshot” of the SEVOCAB (Systems and software
Engineering Vocabulary) database and is publicly accessible at www .computer .org/ sevocab.
ISO, IEC, and IEEE maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
— IEEE Standards Dictionary Online: available at http:// dictionary .ieee .org
3.1 General terms
3.1.1
constituent system
CS
independent system that forms part of a system of systems (SoS) (3.1.4)
Note 1 to entry: Constituent systems can be part of one or more SoS. Each constituent system is a useful system
by itself, having its own development, management (3.1.3), utilization, goals, and resources, but interacts within
the SoS to provide the unique capability of the SoS.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 21839:2019, 3.1.1, modified — The abbreviated term "CS" has been added.]
3.1.2
governance
process of establishing and enforcing strategic goals and objectives, organizational policies and
performance parameters
Note 1 to entry: This definition is adapted from Reference [8].
© ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved
© IEEE 2019 – All rights reserved 1
3.1.3
management
system of controls and processes required to achieve the strategic objectives set by the organization's
governing body
Note 1 to entry: Management is subject to the policy guidance and monitoring set through corporate governance
(3.1.2).
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 24765:2017, 3.2338]
...
INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC/
STANDARD IEEE
First edition
2019-07
Corrected version
2019-09
Systems and software engineering —
Taxonomy of systems of systems
Ingénierie système et logiciel — Taxonomie des systèmes de systèmes
Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2019
©
IEEE 2019
© ISO/IEC 2019
© IEEE 2019
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO or IEEE at the
respective address below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8 3 Park Avenue, New York
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva NY 10016-5997, USA
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org Email: stds.ipr@ieee.org
Website: www.iso.org Website: www.ieee.org
Published in Switzerland
© ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved
ii © IEEE 2019 – All rights reserved
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 General terms . 1
3.2 SoS types. 2
4 Concepts and application . 3
4.1 Overview . 3
4.2 Importance of taxonomies to SoS . 3
4.3 Use of SoS taxonomies . 3
5 Taxonomies for systems of systems . 4
5.1 General . 4
5.2 Taxa: directed, acknowledged, collaborative and virtual . 4
5.2.1 Overview . 4
5.2.2 Description of the taxa . 4
5.2.3 Examples of potential application of the taxa . 5
5.2.4 When to use . 5
5.2.5 How to use . 5
5.2.6 Why to use . 6
5.2.7 Limitations . 6
5.2.8 Benefits of use . 6
Annex A (informative) Summary of SoS taxonomies . 7
Bibliography . 8
IEEE notices and abstract . 9
© ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved
© IEEE 2019 – All rights reserved iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that
are members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through
technical committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of
technical activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other
international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also
take part in the work.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
IEEE Standards documents are developed within the IEEE Societies and the Standards Coordinating
Committees of the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Standards Board. The IEEE develops its
standards through a consensus development process, approved by the American National Standards
Institute, which brings together volunteers representing varied viewpoints and interests to achieve the
final product. Volunteers are not necessarily members of the Institute and serve without compensation.
While the IEEE administers the process and establishes rules to promote fairness in the consensus
development process, the IEEE does not independently evaluate, test, or verify the accuracy of any of
the information contained in its standards.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject
of patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent
rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the
Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents) or the IEC
list of patent declarations received (see http:// patents .iec .ch).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 7, Systems and software engineering, in cooperation with the Systems and Software
Engineering Standards Committee of IEEE Computer Society, under the Partner Standards Development
Organization cooperation agreement between ISO and IEEE.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
This corrected version of ISO/IEC/IEEE 21841:2019 incorporates the following correction:
— The publication date on the cover page has been corrected.
© ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved
iv © IEEE 2019 – All rights reserved
Introduction
Systems of systems engineering (SoSE) is a concept that is increasingly thought of as a discipline
important for the realization and sustainability of large and persistent sociotechnical systems in areas
as diverse as healthcare, transportation, energy, defense, corporations, cities and government.
While SoSE applies broadly to hardware, software, middle-ware as well as embedded, cyber-physical
and digital systems, the importance of SoSE has been heightened in the last fifteen years by the rapid
increase in the pervasiveness of information technology (IT), illustrated by new technologies and
paradigms such as Sensor Networks, Cloud Computing, the Internet of Things, Big Data, Smart Devices
and Artificial Intelligence. It is, for instance, the application of these technologies to cities that transform
them into “smarter” cities.
This pervasiveness of IT was not only driven by the availability of these technologies, but also more
importantly by the requirements in our resource and environmentally-constrained world for increased
and sustainable economic development and, ultimately, personal well-being.
SoSE goes well beyond IT and potentially applies to all types of systems, including hardware and
cyber physical systems where IT is an enabler. SoSE addresses functionality, performance and
interdependencies of the systems as well as their connectivity. The interconnectivity of systems has
become pervasive in large command and control systems, defense systems, communications systems,
transportation systems and medical/health systems, among others. The accelerating need to share
information and leverage capabilities from other systems has changed how systems need to be viewed
and engineered.
Taxonomies provide a means in many fields to classify and describe the relationships among the
relevant elements being studied. The elements of a taxonomy, or taxa, form a partitioning or means of
classification within that body of knowledge. In the context of systems of systems (SoS), the relevant
elements of the system of interest are, by definition, systems themselves. Using essential characteristics
to partition the various types of SoS provides an abbreviated nomenclature for thinking about SoS.
Based on taxonomies, different approaches to the engineering of systems of systems are possible,
improving the efficiency and effectiveness of systems of systems engineering.
© ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved
© IEEE 2019 – All rights reserved v
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC/IEEE 21841:2019(E)
Systems and software engineering — Taxonomy of systems
of systems
1 Scope
This document defines a normalized taxonomy for systems of systems (SoS) to facilitate communications
among stakeholders. It also briefly explains what a taxonomy is and how it applies to the SoS to aid in
understanding and communication.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
NOTE For additional terms and definitions in the field of systems and software engineering, see
ISO/IEC/IEEE 24765, which is published periodically as a “snapshot” of the SEVOCAB (Systems and software
Engineering Vocabulary) database and is publicly accessible at www .computer .org/ sevocab.
ISO, IEC, and IEEE maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
— IEEE Standards Dictionary Online: available at http:// dictionary .ieee .org
3.1 General terms
3.1.1
constituent system
CS
independent system that forms part of a system of systems (SoS) (3.1.4)
Note 1 to entry: Constituent systems can be part of one or more SoS. Each constituent system is a useful system
by itself, having its own development, management (3.1.3), utilization, goals, and resources, but interacts within
the SoS to provide the unique capability of the SoS.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 21839:2019, 3.1.1, modified — The abbreviated term "CS" has been added.]
3.1.2
governance
process of establishing and enforcing strategic goals and objectives, organizational policies and
performance parameters
Note 1 to entry: This definition is adapted from Reference [8].
© ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved
© IEEE 2019 – All rights reserved 1
3.1.3
management
system of controls and processes required to achieve the strategic objectives set by the organization's
governing body
Note 1 to entry: Management is subject to the policy guidance and monitoring set through corporate governance
(3.1.2).
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 24765:2017, 3.2338]
...
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