Reference Models for Advanced E-Services

Reference models (RMs) capitalize on the experience that key functions and relationships determine a system’s main design structure which has to be established before other design details can be settled. As such RMs can play an important role in designing complex (distributed) systems, in allocating design tasks to cooperating design teams and in facilitating their communication. These roles are also eminent in standardization. This paper discusses the need for precisely defined basic architectural concepts to construct RMs, building on experience with designing the OSI-RM. We apply these concepts in the design of a number of RMs for networked applications that provide advanced e-services.