Task: Identify System Environment
Identifies those concepts that are part of the system environment but influence the system at runtime.
Disciplines: Environment
Relationships
Main Description
No system works entirely isolated from its environment. The environment contains all relevant concepts that are not part of the system but influence it at runtime. Elements in the environment do not usually become part of the system architecture but are nonetheless important and have to be captured.
Steps
Identify relevant concepts in the environment
Identify those concepts in the environment that might have an impact on the system. Examples include weather, infrastructure the system uses, legislation, etc. If these concepts have relations, model these relations. Detail how each of the concepts influences the system. Identify and document the assumptions that have to be made about the concepts in the environment.
Identify risks for the system in the environment

The behaviour of the concepts in the environment can pose risks to the functionality or performance of the system under construction. Identify those risks and detail them. A Risk List can be a valuable tool for this task.

Identify interactions with external systems
Identify whether the MAS to be built interacts with external systems such as services, other agents, or MAS. If that is the case, prepare a high-level description of the anticipated communication interface, potential protocols, and data structures.
Key Considerations
Depending on the requirements modelling method used, the results of this task can either become part of the [Requirements Model] or of the [System Environment Description].