MARTE — Section: NFP

[NFP] A very useful concept for NFP annotations could be the notion of ‘NFP level’. For instance, a NFP level may identify a group of non-functional values that are valid for a specific system operation mode. More specifically, in a component-based architecture, components can support different working modes, and these working modes may provide different non-functional values or qualities for the same services. In infrastructures supporting dynamic resource management, the resources may offer different non-functional values depending on the system load. From a conceptual viewpoint, a NFP level can identify a level of model refinement. For example, one may define NFP values according to available estimates in early development phases, while further accurate measurement values may be annotated in the same models. A NFP level, in this case, can offer a mechanism to organize non-functional values according to successive refinement stages.

In general, this is a problem than might need some especial mechanism in UML,
or a trick/cheat annotation mechanism. We recognize that we need the ability to
express differing configurations for modal analysis or tradeoff analysis. However,
having multiple value annotations for arbitrary cases or situations is clearly
beyond the scope of the MARTE Profile and is within the scope of the UML
metamodel and modeling generally. For instance, this could be supported by
allowing applying a given stereotype multiple times in the same UML model
element. We need to raise the issue within the UML Revision Task Force.
Also, MARTE offers AnalysisContext and VSL offers variables and the two are
intended for multi-case analysis.
Finally, modeling of NFP_Constraint annotations for specific operational model is
treated in Issue 12797 (HLAM work group).
Hence, we propose to close this issue with no change.