System of Systems Composition and Course of Action Pathfinding Tool (CNCPT)

Abstract

The CnCPT Framework enables systematic exploration of the optimal configurations for large-scale complex system of systems architectures. CnCPT provides a straightforward and systematic approach to rapidly develop viable architectural concepts by having users focus on the fundamental constraints of architectural design. The composition, CONOP, and heuristic constraints can be adjusted to fit the use cases of Commanders, Architects, and Analysts and enable rapid exploration of an architecture’s design space. The CnCPT framework allows users to define the key metrics of concern and develop optimal architectures that maximize performance. Built upon the proven approaches inherent to military campaign analysis, CnCPT embraces the uncertainty inherent to the large-scale system of system architectures and enables users to prioritize architecture exploration based on their risk tolerance. For Commanders focused on the tactics and strategies of their fighting force, CnCPT enables a fixed composition to explore the optimal system-level CONOPs resulting from military victory. For Architects that aim to determine the best composition of forces using current CONOPs, CnCPT enables fixed courses of action to be exercised on top of varying designs to determine the optimal architectural composition. Finally, for Analysts, CnCPT allows every aspect of the framework to be modified; constraints, architecture generation, architecture breeding, population selection, and scoring approaches are all fully customizable based on an Analyst’s goals.