Pragmatic Tracing in Model-based Systems and Software Engineering

On the one hand, Model-based Systems and Software Engineering approaches ease the development of complex software systems. On the other, they introduce the challenge of managing the multitude of different artifacts created using various tools during the system lifecycle. For understanding and maintaining these artifacts as they evolve, it is advisable to establish traceability among them. Traceability is the ability to relate the various artifacts created and evolved during the project. However, organizations often consider traceability a burden because it is time-consuming and error-prone when done manually. Hence, the objective of this thesis is to research and develop pragmatic traceability approaches that can be followed in the MBSE context. A systematic mapping study was conducted to understand and compile the various criteria that need to be followed while creating and maintaining trace links. It also provided insights on the approaches followed to ease the burden on engineers. Expert interviews with industrial companies were conducted to investigate the real-life experiences of engineers on traceability, to get an overview of best practices and known pitfalls. Based on the mapping study and the results of the interviews, various approaches and tools used to achieve traceability were discussed. A case study was conducted for state-of-the-practice traceability approaches in a toolchain consisting of Polarion, Enterprise Architect, and Doxygen. For research, open-source libraries and applications were used for analysis. A tool prototype was developed to create and maintain trace links between artifacts created in the toolchain mentioned above. The use cases in which the tool eases achieving traceability are discussed along with pros and cons