Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Systems, Architecture and Knowledge

Large or specialised software systems-of-systems are now mostly composed of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software packages. In mainstream application areas, such as office automation, this approach has proved satisfactory once the teething problems have been overcome. Defence and Research have also followed this trend in a desire to cut costs and take advantage of the functionality of commercial software. However, the difference between the often demanding requirements for defence systems-of-systems, and those against which COTS software has been designed, has resulted in unfavourable outcomes. This paper discusses the insights that can be gleaned from systems theory and practice to improve the probability of successfully integrating COTS components into defence systems. In particular the paper will provide a practical definition of systems of systems (SOS) and then will compare the generic design drivers for software of this scale with that of modest stand alone packages. A systems approach is invoked to help understand the problem context presented by the SOS evolution task and uses this to identify ideas that may be able to mitigate some of the issues. The paper will conclude by identifying some practical approaches that can help realise evolving Defence and Research SOS. APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE