Draft 7, Section1 - Introduction

[Duane Nickull <dnickull@adobe.com>]

<current>

Introduction section

</current>

 

<suggested>

Add a small section of text to illustrate the usefulness of a RM to 
architects.

</suggested>

 

<notes>

Use an analogy similar to this to position RM in relationship to RA.  
Ensure it does not duplicate Appendix B but should point at it.


RA means Reference Architecture.  As per the previous emails on  this 
subject, it is a generalized architecture.

The relationship is that architects use a RM as a guiding model  when 
building a RA.

For example, if you are architecting a house, an RM may explain the  
concepts of gravity, a 3D environment, walls, foundations, floors,  
roofs, ceilings etc.  It is abstract however.  There is nothing  
specific like a wall with measurements such as 8 feet high.  Note  that 
the RM has only one each of these things - it does not have 4,  16, 23 
walls, just one as a concept.
The architect may uses this model to create a specific architecture  for 
a specific house (accounting for such things as property,  incline, 
climate etc) or an architect MAY elect to use it to build  a more 
generalized reference architecture.  The latter is often  done by 
architects who design houses.  When they sell a house, they  must often 
re-architect the RA for specific implementation details  such as incline 
of land, climate, facing the sun etc..

So why do we need a RM?  Simple - we now have logical divisions  amongst 
the components of a house and what they mean.  That way,  when a company 
says " we are a flooring company..", that is  meaningful since we all 
know what that means.  The same applies to  a roofing company.  Without 
the basic consensus on the logical  divisions, a roofing contractor may 
also try to include the ceiling  and walls as part of his offerings.  
That would not work and not  allow the general contractor to build a 
house very easily since  there may not be consensus upon the division of 
labor and  components to build the house.

</notes>