Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Getting Started:
OpenEdge Reference Architecture

Explaining reference architectures

A reference architecture is distinct from an application architecture.

An application architecture describes the organization and structure of a software system. It organizes an application’s functions or features into modules and shows how the various modules interact with one another. Application architectures are usually specified using diagrams and written specifications.

Application architectures are useful because they:

Validate a project before development begins.
Serve as a functional blueprint for developers.
Serve as a record of application design that serves as a reference for future development.
Communicate design decisions to members of a development team and to partners (project managers, testers, documenters, etc.).

Reference architecture is a more general term than application architecture. It can be described as a master plan that application architects consult for the development of any number of applications (whereas, an application architecture usually refers to a description of a single application). In the OpenEdge context, the OpenEdge Reference Architecture (RA) does not define specific software components, but defines the general functional categories of components that comprise an application. It can be used as a high-level blueprint for developing OpenEdge service-oriented business applications.

For more information about the history and evolution of application architectures, see OpenEdge Reference Architecture: Overview of Distributed Architectures at http://psdn.progress.com/library/docs/overview_distributed_arch.pdf.