Rational Rhapsody, a modeling environment based on UML, is a visual development environment for systems engineers and software developers creating real-time or embedded systems and software. Rational Rhapsody uses graphical models to generate software applications in various languages including C, C++, Ada, Java and C#.

Developers use Rational Rhapsody to understand and elaborate requirements, create model designs using industry standard languages (UML, SysML, AUTOSAR, DoDAF, MODAF, UPDM), validate functionality early in development, and automate delivery of high structured products.

Rational Rhapsody Model Manager (previous implementation, Design Manager, will be deprecated) is a web based application that stakeholders, developers, and other team members use to collaborate on the design of products, software, and systems. The product contains a server that hosts model designs which have been developed in Rational Rhapsody. A client extension component included with Rational Rhapsody allows users to connect to a Design Manager server. After connecting to the server, models can be moved into project areas with specific modelling domains based on the industry standard languages supported by Rational Rhapsody. Rhapsody Model Manager also integrates with the Rational solution for Collaborative Lifecycle Management (CLM). In this environment, artifacts can be associated with other lifecycle resources such as requirements (the Doors Next Generation application), change requests and change sets of sources (the Team Concert Application), and Quality Assurance test cases (the Quality Manager application). Global Configuration control allows different teams and different projects to interact in a synchronised setup that integrates deliveries and baselines within each of the tools in the CLM solution.