OpenMBEE is a software environment built to support Engineering Modeling and Analysis in a collaborative large-scale context. OpenMBEE provides Web Services and for integrating models and building Web Applications that use those models. These services also include Engineering Modeling App integrations e.g. Jupyter Lab as well as conventional desktop tools for integrating models and analysis. The most novel element is the ability to make web-based technical documents with cross-referenced information made common by the underlying engineering models.

The Open MBEE Thirty Meter Telescope Model and supporting Modeling Cookbook models are key assets in Open Source Modeling for Systems Models. The Open MBEE Cookbooks in particular, demonstrate the ability to provide reusable descriptive models to facilitate an open collaborative process for engineering development. As with software applications, this is crucial for ensuring a robust resource of models with a foundation in precision, as is expected in successful Open Source resources.

Another critical concept in the Open MBEE Architecture is the ability to make this descriptive information available as a resource. Like software code configuration management, versioning and organization are required. However, for descriptive models written in modeling languages for large systems, it is important to provide this information in a way that can be analyzed as well as consumed in formal technical human formats. The Open MBEE software originated at NASA JPL and the European Southern Observatory. It provides a Model Repository called the Model Management System (MMS), a web application called View Editor and a Code Generator called COMODO.