To deal with the increasing complexity and uncertainty
of software systems, novel software engineering models
and tools are required to make such systems self-adaptive.
As part of ongoing research, we investigate various models,
schemes and mechanisms to model and engineer self-adaptation
in complex software systems. To this end, we have defined
SOTA (State of the Affairs) as a general goal-oriented modeling
framework for the analysis and design of self-adaptive systems.
In this paper, by transforming the conceptual SOTA model into
an operational one, we show how SOTA can be an effective
tool to perform an early, goal-level, model checking analysis
for adaptive systems. This allows the developers of complex
self-adaptive systems to validate the actual correctness of the
self-adaptive requirements at an early stage in the software
life-cycle. The approach is explored and validated using a case
study in the area of e-mobility.