Cross-domain data artifacts consolidation in model context

1. A method comprising:

generating a unified model data index by indexing a plurality of shared syntax elements describing at least one of a plurality of objects, attributes, and relationships of a plurality of data artifacts, each of said plurality of data artifacts corresponding to one of a plurality of engineering and non-engineering domains including hardware, software, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, system architecture, manufacturing, computer-human interaction, and industrial design;

creating instances of an engineering reference model describing model properties including system, sub-system, product line, component, and part that define blocks and relationships between each of said data artifacts for each of said plurality of engineering and non-engineering domains; and

enriching said unified model data index by adding said relationships having a plurality of shared syntax elements of at least one instance of said engineering reference model to said plurality of shared syntax elements of said unified model data index to provide an enriched unified model data index.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting at least one part of said at least one instance of said engineering reference model.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising allowing access to at least one of said unified model data index and said enriched unified model data index.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said presenting is a cross-domain view point, across a said plurality of engineering and non-engineering domains, of said instances of said engineering reference model.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of data artifacts represents a multi-domain engineering product and said at least one part of said at least one instance is selected according to at least one aspect of said multi-domain engineering product.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said at least one aspect is selected from a group consisting of entire product functionality, component-specific functionality, requirement verification, manufacturing cost and bill of materials.

7. The method of claim 2 , further comprising presenting at least one of said plurality of data artifacts, thereby allowing a drill-down analysis of said at least one instance.

8. The method of claim 1 , said generating said unified model data index further comprising filtering said plurality of shared syntax elements of said plurality of data artifacts.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said adding of said relationships is performed by selectively mapping between said plurality of shared syntax elements of said at least one instance of said engineering reference model and said plurality of shared syntax elements of said unified model data index.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said creating instances of an engineering reference model selectively describes a subset of said plurality of engineering and non-engineering domains.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said describing said plurality of engineering and non-engineering domains comprises describing a plurality of cross-domain relations across said plurality of engineering and non-engineering domains.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of a plurality of instances of said engineering reference model enriching has a plurality of hierarchical relationships and said enriching is performed according to said plurality of hierarchical relationships.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium including:

first program instructions to generate a unified model data index by indexing a plurality of shared syntax elements describing at least one of a plurality of objects, attributes, and relationships of a plurality of data artifacts, said plurality of data artifacts describing a plurality of engineering and non-engineering domains including hardware, software, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, system architecture, manufacturing, computer-human interaction, and industrial design;

second program instructions to create instances of an engineering reference model describing model properties including system, sub-system, product line, component, and part that define blocks and relationships between each of said data artifacts for each of said plurality of engineering and non-engineering domains; and

third program instructions to enrich said unified model data index by adding said relationships having a plurality of shared syntax elements of at least one instance of said engineering reference model to said plurality of shared syntax elements of said unified model data index to provide an enriched unified model data index;

said first, second and third program instructions being stored on said non-transitory computer readable storage medium.

14. A system comprising:

a memory that stores a unified model data index; and

a processor including:

an indexing module which generates a unified model data index by indexing a plurality of shared syntax elements describing at least one of a plurality of objects, attributes, and relationships of a plurality of data artifacts, said plurality of data artifacts describing a plurality of engineering and non-engineering domains including hardware, software, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, system architecture, manufacturing, computer-human interaction, and industrial design;

a creation module which creates instances of an engineering reference model describing model properties including system, sub-system, product line, component, and part that define blocks and relationships between each of said data artifacts for each of said plurality of engineering and non-engineering domains; and

an enrichment module which enriches said unified model data index by adding said relationships having a plurality of shared syntax elements of at least one instance of said engineering reference model to said plurality of shared syntax elements of said unified model data index to provide an enriched unified model data index.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising an interface module which performs at least one of presenting at least one part of said at least one instance of an engineering reference model, allowing a user to access said enriched unified model data index, presenting a cross-domain view point of said engineering reference model, presenting said engineering reference model according to at least one aspect of said multi-domain engineering product.