Digital Pipelines – A framework for Continuous Integration, Verification, and Delivery of Complex Systems

Digital Pipelines combines modern DevOps practices with model-based systems engineering to enable continuous integration (CI), verification (CV), and delivery (CD) of complex systems. Digital Pipelines can be configured to perform the following tasks on an automated and scheduled basis: (1) build a Candidate System Configuration (CSC) as a digital thread by fetching the latest state of models/data in distributed tools and repositories, (2) execute test plans on CSC and generate test reports, and (3) deploy Validated System Configuration (VSC) as a baseline and generate stakeholder reports, such as those required for PDRs and CDRs.Digital Pipelines builds on the concept of an open and federated digital thread. Candidate and Validated System Configurations developed during the CI/CV/CD pipeline are represented as digital threads. Digital threads are conceptualized as mathematical graphs whose nodes are model elements in various tools/repositories and whose edges are intranbsp;and inter-model relationships. Digital Pipelines provides a novel, intuitive, and extensible approach for system engineers to create tests for continuous verification using graph query expressions.In the Phase 1 project, the prototype Digital Pipelines framework will be demonstrated using a Spacecraft testbed that includes SysML models, requirement models, PLM/CAD models, project schedule and task models, simulation models, test models, and software modules, each managed in their native tools and repositories.