Navigating Contextual Complexity with Graph Visualization
finding the leader of the sub-network . With this approach , it is possible to discover key characteristics of the network that would be difficult to find through automated analytics alone .
Figure 4-11 shows this sub-network in relation to the surrounding network .
Figure
4-11 : The network of interest with expanded network context .
4.3 NAVIGATING IN A SYSTEM-OF-SYSTEMS KNOWLEDGE GRAPH
Whether you are a system engineer or not , the environment you work in is itself a system of systems . Engineered systems are all around us . ISO / IEC / IEEE 21839 ( ISO , 2019 ) provides a definition of Systems of Systems and constituent systems :
• System of Systems ( SoS ) — Set of systems or system elements that interact to provide a unique capability that none of the constituent systems can accomplish on its own .
• Constituent Systems — Constituent systems can be part of one or more SoS . Note : Each constituent is a useful system by itself , having its own development , management goals and resources , but interacts within the SoS to provide the unique capability of the SoS .
Many people are tasked with monitoring a system or understanding the design or behavior of a specific system . Interacting with the instance of a system , be it a procedure , or a physical system , such as a hot water distribution system , or an electrical distribution grid , typically requires new types of interaction than those that were required to model it . Figure 4-12 shows an example of a typical roof-top air handling system as found in many commercial buildings in North America and elsewhere , rendered in the style typical for this discipline . [ 19 ] The heating and ventilation control system manages the flow of water through the respective valves , while the respective water systems control the availability of hot or chilled water to this and other HVAC units . These
86 February 2025