Model-Based System Architecture, 2nd Edition

Appendix CGlossary

Many definitions in this book are model-based and depicted in SysML to maintain relations and coherency. Still a glossary can provide benefit following the “principle of definition” asking for both formal definition for precision and prose for comprehensibility [56].

C.1 Heritage of the Term “Glossary”

A glossary is an alphabetically ordered list of terms with related explanations. The term derives from the medieval Latin “glossa” meaning explanation of a difficult word. It traces to the Greek “glōssa” standing for “word needing explanation” [196]. Glosses were added in medieval books marginal or interlinear as depicted in Figure C.1.

Figure C.1 A page of an eleventh century manuscript with glosses.

Source: Reproduced with permission from Burgerbibliothek Bern, Cod. 88, f. 1v – Aratus – Germanicus: Phaenomena. (https://www.e-codices.ch/en/list/one/bbb/0088)

C.2 Terms with Specific Meaning

Term	Definition
actor	An actor represents a role outside the system‐of‐interest and can be a user or another system.
architecture	Architecture is an idea of a system in its context embodied in its elements, interactions among its elements and context, and the principles guiding the system's organization, design and evolution, and the decisions along its development and evolution [56, 114, 266].
architecture decision	An architecture decision traces a step ...