Glossary · Automation software engineering and architecture
Reference architecture
German: Referenzarchitektur
In systems and software engineering, a reference architecture is a generic, reusable architecture for a domain or product family that defines typical structures, components, interfaces and terminology from which concrete architectures are derived.
- Software engineering
- Standards
In one sentence
A reference architecture is a reusable template of structures, components and interfaces from which concrete architectures are derived.
Example
A machine builder's reference architecture defines the layers from I/O and control through the edge gateway to the cloud, and every new machine project starts from it.
How it applies
- Engineering: Reference architectures such as ISA-95 for the enterprise-control hierarchy or RAMI 4.0 for Industry 4.0 give projects a common structure and vocabulary. Company reference architectures add approved components and interface standards.
- Project management: Starting from a reference architecture shortens design and makes projects comparable. Deviations should be documented and justified.
- Documentation: A reference architecture is a strong basis for reusable documentation: topics describing standard components and interfaces can be reused across projects, and system overviews can follow the same diagrams.
Reference architecture vs. architecture pattern
An Architecture pattern is a generic solution to a recurring design problem, such as layers. A reference architecture is a complete template for a domain and often combines several patterns.