Model-Based Systems Analysis & Engineering (MBSA&E) API

Overview

The Model-Based Systems Analysis & Engineering (MBSA&E) API is an innovative, open-source, Jython-based software developed by the IDEAS Lab at the University of Michigan as a part of a research project funded by The Boeing Company. The MBSA&E API enables data to be seamlessly syncrhonized between Magic Systems of Systems Architect (MSOSA, an MBSE tool) and any multidisciplinary analysis and optimization (MDAO) tool in a repeated, tool-agnostic manner. Data is synchronized between tools via a structured data schema, namely an “authoritative source of truth” (ASOT), a JSON file patterned after The Boeing Company’s Aircraft Data Hierarchy. The read/write routines within the API enable an MSOSA system model to be created/updated from the ASOT or vice versa.

Disclaimer: Any figures on this page are part of accepted and published manuscripts and should not be used without permission. Please cite them using the citation provided under each figure.

Key Features:

• Create MSOSA System Models: initialize or refresh an MSOSA system model from an ASOT version. The resultant system model contains packages, blocks, value properties, and requirements that mimics the ASOT structure while while preserving the identifiers and units provided.
• Update MSOSA System Models: synchronize MSOSA’s system model with the most up-to-date ASOT. After updating the necessary model entities, a CHANGELOG is printed to highlight the system model changes necessary to synchronize with the ASOT.
• Export MSOSA System Models: publish the system model in MSOSA to the ASOT for downstream use, particularly for analysis in an MDAO tool. The ASOT structure matches that of the system model, ensuring consistency and idempotence during synchronization.
• Import Stereotypes: create stereotypes in MSOSA’s system model for any entity in the ASOT, binding domain semantics for downstream use.
• Export MSOSA Instance Specifications: publish an instance specification from MSOSA to the ASOT for review or analysis.

Get Started with the MBSA&E API

The MBSA&E API is open-source and freely available under an Apache 2.0 license. To start using the MBSA&E API, visit the GitHub repository here. The repository contains detailed documentation, installation instructions and basic usage for MBSE-MDAO workflows.

If you use the MBSA&E API in your research, please cite our work as follows:

• Mokotoff, P. R. & Cinar, G. (2026). Weakly Coupling MBSE and MDAO via a Tool‑Neutral Authoritative Source of Truth. AIAA SciTech Forum. Accepted.
• Shi, M., Mokotoff, P. R., & Cinar, G. (2025). Model-Based Systems Analysis and Engineering: The Development of Enhanced Model-Based Systems Analysis (MBSA) and Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) Couplings for Practical Applications. NASA/CR-20250007048.
• Engelbeck, R. M., Ocampo, E., Gablonsky, J., Shi, M., Wakayama, S., Carrere, A., Plybon, R., Refford, M., Mokotoff, P. R., Bakhshi, S., Kerlee, A., Cinar, G., and Martins, J. R. R. A. (2025). Model-Based Systems Analysis and Engineering: Aircraft Data Hierarchy. NASA/CR-20250007045.

Funding and Acknowledgment: This work was funded by The Boeing Company project: “Phase I Model-Based Systems Analysis and Engineering (MBSA&E) Framework Development & Assessment for NASA Sustainable Flight National Partnership (SFNP)”. The contract number is “SSOW-BRT-L1023-0237”. Alex Carrere was the Technical Monitor. The developers also want to thank Sean Wakayama, Ron Engelbeck, and Mingxuan Shi for their support and valuable technical input throughout the duration of this project.