A Constraint-Based Programming Approach to Avoid Overlap in Implementing Resilience of System of Systems

Abstract

“System of Systems” (SoS) refers to a collection of individual systems that work together to achieve a common goal. SoS often involve complex interactions and interdependencies between systems, and as a result, they can be challenging to design, manage, and maintain. Resilience is the ability of a system to withstand and recover from disruptive events. When considering a system of systems, resilience becomes a key factor as disruptions in one system may have a cascading effect on the other systems. To ensure resilience in such complex environment, constraint programming (CP) can be used to model and optimize the system's behavior, and to find the optimal configuration that satisfies all constraints. This approach can help identify the best reconfiguration options that meet specific objectives, such as maximizing system performance, minimizing costs, or minimizing risks. Compared to previous works that primarily performs SoS reconfiguration by moving the failed system into a degraded operating mode to maintain acceptable functioning, this work focuses on a type of system failure, so that degraded mode is not possible. A constraint-based reconfiguration approach is developed, allowing the system to continue operating efficiently in the face of unexpected events. A case study of a SoS describing an “airport control tower” which is a type of control system used in aviation to manage the flow of air traffic in and out of an airport. The main goal of the proposed model is to avoid overlapping flight zones of aircraft on approach for takeoff or landing.