5.1. Whitebox Overall System

Here you describe the decomposition of the overall system using the following white box template. It contains

  • an overview diagram
  • a motivation for the decomposition
  • black box descriptions of the contained building blocks. For these we offer you alternatives:
    • use one table for a short and pragmatic overview of all contained building blocks and their interfaces
    • use a list of black box descriptions of the building blocks according to the black box template (see below). Depending on your choice of tool this list could be sub-chapters (in text files), sub-pages (in a Wiki) or nested elements (in a modelling tool).
  • (optional:) important interfaces, that are not explained in the black box templates of a building block, but are very important for understanding the white box.

Since there are so many ways to specify interfaces why do not provide a specific template for them.

In the best case you will get away with examples or simple signatures.

insert overview diagram of overall system

describe motivation/reasoning for overall system decomposition

describe contained building blocks (blackboxes)

(optionally) describe important interfaces

Insert your explanations of black boxes from level 1:

If you use tabular form you will only describe your black boxes with name and responsibility according to the following schema:

NameResponsibility
<black box 1><Text>
<black box 2><Text>

If you use a list of black box decriptions then you fill in a separate black box template for every important building block . Its headline is the name of the black box.

Name black box 1

Here you describe <black box 1> according the the following black box template:

  • Purpose/Responsibility
  • Interface(s), when they are not extracted as separate paragraphs. This interfaces may include qualities and performance characteristics.
  • (Optional) Quality-/Performance characteristics of the black box, e.g.availability, run time behavior, ….
  • (Optional) directory/file location
  • (Optional) Fulfilled requirements (if you need traceability to requirements).
  • (Optional) Open issues/problems/risks

You can use a table or text.

Purpose/Responsibility

Interface(s)

(Optional) Quality/Performance Characteristics

(Optional) Directory/File Location

(Optional) Fulfilled Requirements

(optional) Open Issues/Problems/Risks

Name black box 2

black box template

Name black box n

black box template

Name interface 1

...

Name interface n