A reference architecture corresponds to "architecture as a style or method." It refers to a coherent set of design principles used in a specific domain.  The architecture describes the kinds of components, their responsibilities, dependencies, possible interactions, and constraints. The reference architecture is the basis for designing the architecture for a particular purpose. When designing according to an architectural style, the architect can select from a set of well-known elements (standard parts) and use them in ways appropriate to the desired architecture.

The architecture gathers the principles and rules concerning system development in a specific domain, to achieve:

• A unified, unambiguous, and widely understood terminology
• Design simplicity, possibly allowing cheaper and faster design of the solution
• Higher quality systems by relying on proven concepts of the reference architecture
• Interfacing and possible re-usability of modules between different projects or generations
• Development or implementation tasks which can be partitioned among different teams, ideally allowing each team to bring in their best expertise and available equipment
• Traceability between solution independent requirements and final realisations. To achieve this the architecture must indicate and justify how and at what stage in the development process external constraints and engineering design decisions are introduced

Successful achievement of these goals relies on the adoption of a clear and systematic methods.

A reconfigurable/flexible system based on appropriate principles (that are adhered to) is then able to evolve according to changing business and technical opportunities, threats and needs; it enables control re-design, and functions can be extended through a managed process. In other words, the system allows the owner to add, remove and modify  components during operation. By building in such flexibility minimises the need to adapt by maximising the range of 'normal' situations of the solution.

To this end, a reference architecture for reconfigurable/flexible systems must specify:

• Special elements to enable and support reconfiguration and adaptation. In a multi-agent manufacturing control system
• Common characteristics of 'ordinary' system elements to support reconfiguration and adaptation
• Design rules to safeguard system flexibility

Examples of Reference Architectures include:

• Enterprise
  • The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF)
  • DCI?
  • Enterprise Architecture Planning Spewak
  • C4ISR
  • Federated Enterprise Architecture Framework
• Business
  • Federated Architecture
  • GSRM/BTEP
• Information technology
  •  
  • EWITA
  • RM-ODP
  • Technology Architecture Framework for Information Management
• Software
  • Visual Basic 6.0 Business Objects by Rockford Lhotka Rocky Lhotka ISBN: 186100107X - Wrox Press Inc
  • OMG's Model Driven Architecture
  • Microsoft patterns & practices
  • Big Ball of Mud
• System
  • Problem Frames
  • Distributed
  • Information Factory
• Infrastructure
  • Meta Group

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