Large-scale integrated system architecture research: Progress and challenges

The traditional theory and approach of systems engineering do not accommodate to new ways to integrate a lot of component systems into a large-scale system based on network communication technology. Thus, a new research field of integrated system of systems (SoS) engineering (SoSE) has emerged from systems science and systems engineering in past decade. Firstly, the survey introduces the basic concept, classes, characteristics and necessity of the architecture research using some cases of integrated (SoS) engineering systems for examples. And secondly, more progress and challenge issues focusing on the five aspects that include integrated architecture framework, architecture design and process, human-system integrated, interoperation and architecture evaluation are presented systemically in order to pursue and advance the contemporary integrated architecture research.