Future Advances in Reference Architectures

Abstract

The research area of reference architecture will continuously evolve, offering means to increasingly consolidate reference architectures as one of the most relevant reusable artifacts of well-consolidated architectural knowledge and experience. Moreover, existing reference architectures must also continually evolve according to the evolving nature of the different domains where they contribute. New classes of innovative systems with particular characteristics and new technologies (some of which could drastically change the structure of software architectures) will undoubtedly impact the design and evolution of reference architectures. This chapter discusses the main research directions to be taken by reference architectures that will also require a good alignment of efforts from the academic community and industry.