Reference Architecture

Kind: artifact

Layer: Evolution Principles

Record: architecture:reference-architecture

Severity: contextual

Scope: platform, organization, system family

Canonical: Ontology

A formal definition of the modules, patterns and allowed dependencies that a family of systems instantiates.

Listed in Architecture principles, after First-Principles Design and before Pattern Consistency.

Requires

• Standard Patterns
• Quality Goals

Reinforces

• Standardization
• Consistency

Enables

• Reusable Architecture Guidance

Conflicts with

• Uncoordinated Divergence

In tension with

• Team Autonomy

Tensions

• Reference Architecture / Team Autonomy

Violated by

• Uncoordinated Divergence

Refactored by

• Gap Analysis

Severity

• contextual

Category

• Architecture Review / Evolution / Governance Artifacts

Linked from

• Architecture Review / Evolution / Governance Artifacts
• Transactions / State / Concurrency
• Architecture Review Evolution Governance
• Quality Attributes
• Severity levels
• The resolutions