Software-reliant systems must behave acceptably, and their behavior is largely determined by their structure. It is true that improved process and acquisition practices are needed to achieve the business and mission goals of increasingly pervasive software-reliant systems. But those process and acquisition practices are not sufficient—by themselves.

The structure and behavior of software-reliant systems—that is the focus of the SEI Research, Technology, and System Solutions (RTSS) Program. We enable cost-effective development, evolution, and recomposition of predictable, high-quality systems at all scales by

• conducting and applying research, with a focus on quality attributes
• developing and maturing theories, analyses, technologies, techniques, and methods for acquiring objective evidence used to predict and bound system behavior
• creating and transitioning system solutions that meet business and mission goals for systems in all domains

The RTSS Program, led by Linda Northrop, delivers solutions through its Architecture-Centric Engineering (ACE) and Systems at Scale (SAS) units.

The ACE unit develops principles, methods, foundations, techniques, tools, and materials in support of creating, fostering, and stimulating widespread transition of the discipline of architecture-centric engineering.

The SAS Unit enables cost-effective development, acquisition, evolution, and governance of robust multi-system configurations using validated multidisciplinary principles and methods in order to achieve business and mission goals.

The RTSS Program also has three crosscutting units that support and extend ACE and SAS work: 

• The Concept Lab produces customer-oriented proof-of-concept demonstrations.
  

• The ULS Systems Perspective aims to solve the challenges that ultra-large-scale (ULS) systems present.
  

• Integrating Solutions develops the customer-driven packaging of RTSS and other SEI technologies to address specific and general real-world problems.