Ken, I'm trying to understand what the OASIS Reference Architecture effort is all about.
I understand the OASIS definition of a reference model as: "A reference model is an abstract framework for understanding significant relationships among the entities of some environment that enables the development of specific reference or concrete architectures using consistent standards or specifications supporting that environment."
We use the OASIS SOA Reference Model as the basis for our development of a reference architecture for the Navy's application of SOA in its afloat environment. So, to paraphrase the OASIS RM, we are using the RM to enable the development of a specific reference architecture using consistent standards or specifications supporting that environment.
So, the RM goes on to define, "A reference architecture is an architectural design pattern that indicates how an abstract set of mechanisms and relationships realizes a predetermined set of requirements." It also states: "The concepts and relationships defined by the reference model are intended to be the basis for describing references architectures and patterns that will define more specific categories of SOA designs."
As a result of all this, we understood a reference architecture to be specific to a domain or an environment or a specific category of SOA design. It is "an architectural design pattern ...[for realizing] a predetermined set of requirements." We have interpreted "Navy application of SOA in its afloat environment" as a "specific category of SOA design" with "a predetermined set of requirements."
By these definitions, how could one build a completely generalized SOA Reference Architecture irrespective of a domain or an environment or a category of SOA design or a predetermined set of requirements?
Thanx in advance for your explanation!