SysML FAQ: Who created SysML and how did it get its name?

Who created the Systems Modeling Language (SysML)?

Question Variant(s): Who created SysML?; Who designed SysML?

The Systems Modeling Language (SysML) was developed by the SysML Partners, an informal group of Systems Engineering and software modeling tool experts led by Cris Kobryn in 2003. Their goal was to create a profile (dialect) of Unified Modeling Language v2.0 (UML 2) suitable for Systems Engineering applications.

Kobryn, who had successfully led the UML v1.x and UML v2.0 language design teams, was asked by David Oliver and Sanford Friedenthal of INCOSE in 2003 to lead their joint effort in response to the Object Management Group's UML for Systems Engineering RFP issued in March 2003. As the SysML Partners' Chair, Kobryn named the language "SysML" (short for "Systems Modeling Language"), designed the original SysML logo, and organized the SysML Language Design team as an open source specification project. Friedenthal, Chair of the OMG Systems Engineering Special Interest Group, held the position of Deputy Chair of the SysML Partners during the project's initial stages.

David Oliver, Co-Chair of the INCOSE Model Driven Design Working Group and INCOSE Fellow, advised the SysML Partners throughout the project.

The SysML Partners released the SysML v0.9 draft specification in January 2005. In August 2005, Friedenthal and some other original SysML Partners departed and formed a rival SysML Submission Team (SST). In November, the SysML Partners published the SysML v1.0 Alpha specification. This version was ultimately adopted by the OMG as OMG SysML v1.0 (Draft) in April 2006.

For further details about the history of the SysML, see the SysML Partners section of the SysML.org web.