Task: Define Ports and Interfaces
This task focuses on defining the communication between the use-case block and its actor(s) via UML/SysML standard ports.
Disciplines: System Engineering Requirements
Purpose
To implement the interactions between actor(s) and a use-case block in the executable use case model. The defined ports and interfaces are derived through analysis of the use case black-box sequence diagram(s).
Relationships
Main Description

This task refines the executable use-case model by adding ports, interfaces and connectors to support the communication between the use-case block and its associated actors.  The ports, interfaces and connectors are derived from the previously defined black-box sequence diagrams.

Steps
Create behavior ports
Review the black-box sequence diagram for the use case and identify messages exchanged between lifelines.  Define behavioral ports on each structural block for incoming/outgoing messages. See Service Request Driven Modeling Approach for guidance on defining ports.
Create interfaces
Logically group messages in Interfaces. See Service Request Driven Modeling Approach for guidance in defining interfaces.
Associate interfaces with ports
Associate interfaces with ports. See Service Request Driven Modeling Approach for guidance on associating interfaces with ports.
Connect ports
Create connectors between the actor blocks and the relevant use-case block ports to support communications defined by the interfaces.
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