Re: [soa-rm] Changes to "What is a Reference Model"

[Duane Nickull <dnickull@adobe.com>]

Title: Re: [soa-rm] Changes to "What is a Reference Model"

I am cool with further edits.  I just saw the wording up there as a bit weighty.  We can also leave as is if no one objects.  

D


On 9/22/06 6:21 AM, "Laskey, Ken" <klaskey@mitre.org> wrote:

Duane,

First, I want to confirm that the change we are talking about is the words Joe proposed for Wikipedia and NOT the SOA-RM spec.  Correct?

Now, while I like your use case pattern and one could say it introduces concepts, I tend to agree with Danny.  When I think of a pattern, I'm getting to something to which I will associate concrete things and will have a working (concrete?) whatever (e.g. use case) when I'm done.  SOA-RM is more of how to think about SOA so you can evaluate proposed patterns and decide which fits your current problem.

In that, a RM doesn't so much document as it spells out first principles.

Ken

---

From: Duane Nickull [mailto:dnickull@adobe.com]
Sent: Fri 9/22/2006 1:18 AM
To: Danny Thornton; Michael Stiefel; soa-rm@lists.oasis-open.org
Subject: Re: [soa-rm] Changes to "What is a Reference Model"

While not in a formal pattern template, I would assert that the RM is
essentially a set of patterns.  My favorite patterns template is obvious:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=architectural+patterns+metamodel&btnG=G <http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&amp;q=architectural+patterns+metamodel&amp;btnG=G>
oogle+Search

;-)

Duane


On 9/21/06 7:36 PM, "Danny Thornton" <danny_thornton2@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Being a software technical person, I am biased about
> the use of the term pattern.  If I see an unqualified
> usage of pattern in the context of a technical
> reference model for computing, my first expectation
> will be to see things like Pattern Name, Problem,
> Forces, Solution ... (pick your favorite pattern
> template).  The broader audience for a reference model
> may not have the same bias.
>
> Danny
>
> --- Duane Nickull <dnickull@adobe.com> wrote:
>
>> This is actually not specific to SOA systems and is
>> intended to be a stop
>> gap to define "Reference Model" until the Wikipedia
>> page that should do such
>> gets built.  The motivation is to help people
>> understand the abstract nature
>> and use of the RM.  Points well taken however.
>>
>> How about:
>>
>>
>> "A Reference Model is an abstract artifact for
>> documenting patterns and
>> significant relationships among the entities of an
>> environment. It is used
>> to guide architects in the development of specific
>> reference or concrete
>> architectures.  It also facilitates the creation of
>> consistent standards or
>> specifications supporting that environment. A
>> reference model consists of a
>> minimal set of unifying concepts, axioms and
>> relationships within a domain,
>> and is abstract (independent of specific standards,
>> technologies,
>> implementations, or other concrete details). The
>> Reference Model for SOA is
>> the set of concepts and patterns for understanding
>> significant relationships
>> among the entities within a SOA environment."
>>
>> The last sentence is purely an example.
>>
>> Duane
>>
>>
>> On 9/21/06 2:52 PM, "Michael Stiefel"
>> <development@reliablesoftware.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> +1
>>>
>>> Michael
>>>
>>> At 05:48 PM 9/21/2006, Danny Thornton wrote:
>>>> Where is the boundary between pattern and
>> concept?
>>>> When putting together SOA systems, I do not think
>> of
>>>> the SOA RM as a set of patterns that I would use
>> for
>>>> constructing an enterprise system.  I do think of
>> the
>>>> SOA RM as a set of concepts that help in
>> understanding
>>>> a SOA.  From a formal software perspective, I
>> would
>>>> not be inclined to use "pattern" in this part of
>> the
>>>> introduction.  On the other hand, it is not a
>> false
>>>> statement to say that the SOA RM contains
>> patterns
>>>> that will be seen in SOAs.
>>>>
>>>> Danny
>>>>
>>>> --- Duane Nickull <dnickull@adobe.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Replace:
>>>>>
>>>>> "According to the SOA-RM specification, a
>> reference
>>>>> model is an abstract
>>>>> framework for understanding significant
>>>>> relationships among the entities of
>>>>> some environment. It enables the development of
>>>>> specific reference or
>>>>> concrete architectures using consistent
>> standards or
>>>>> specifications
>>>>> supporting that environment. A reference model
>>>>> consists of a minimal set of
>>>>> unifying concepts, axioms and relationships
>> within a
>>>>> particular problem
>>>>> domain, and is independent of specific
>> standards,
>>>>> technologies,
>>>>> implementations, or other concrete details. A
>>>>> reference model for SOA,
>>>>> therefore, is an abstract framework for
>>>>> understanding significant
>>>>> relationships among the entities of SOA."
>>>>>
>>>>> With
>>>>>
>>>>> "A Reference Model is an abstract artifact for
>>>>> documenting patterns and
>>>>> significant relationships among the entities of
>> an
>>>>> environment. It is used
>>>>> to guide architects in the development of
>> specific
>>>>> reference or concrete
>>>>> architectures using the model as a template or
>>>>> pattern.  It also facilitates
>>>>> the creation of consistent standards or
>>>>> specifications supporting that
>>>>> environment. A reference model consists of a
>> minimal
>>>>> set of unifying
>>>>> concepts, axioms and relationships within a
>> domain,
>>>>> and is abstract
>>>>> (independent of specific standards,
>> technologies,
>>>>> implementations, or other
>>>>> concrete details). The Reference Model for SOA
>> is a
>>>>> set of patterns for
>>>>> understanding significant relationships among
>> the
>>>>> entities within a SOA
>>>>> environment."
>>>>>
>>>>> Comments?
>>>>>
>>>>> Duane
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>>
>>>>
>>
> ******************************************************
>>>>> Sr. Technical Evangelist - Adobe Systems, Inc.
>>>>> *
>>>>> Chair - OASIS SOA Reference Model Technical
>>>>> Committee*
>>>>> Blog: http://technoracle.blogspot.com
>>>>> *
>>>>>
>>>>
>>
> ******************************************************
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>> __________________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>>
> ******************************************************
>> Sr. Technical Evangelist - Adobe Systems, Inc.
>> *
>> Chair - OASIS SOA Reference Model Technical
>> Committee*
>> Blog: http://technoracle.blogspot.com
>> *
>>
> ******************************************************
>>
>>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
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> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
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--
******************************************************
Sr. Technical Evangelist - Adobe Systems, Inc.       *
Chair - OASIS SOA Reference Model Technical Committee*
Blog: http://technoracle.blogspot.com                *
******************************************************

-- 
******************************************************
Sr. Technical Evangelist - Adobe Systems, Inc.       *
Chair - OASIS SOA Reference Model Technical Committee*
Blog: http://technoracle.blogspot.com                *
******************************************************