idea from ftf on RM/RA/A

[Ken Laskey <klaskey@mitre.org>]

During today's telecon, I remembered a discussion during the ftf that 
didn't necessarily solve all our problems (Frank wasn't sure if he 
bought it completely) but I thought I'd capture it here.

Go back to our house analogy.  The RA captures concepts related to 
what makes up a house, e.g. room, window, door.  It might include the 
concepts of food preparation area and personal hygiene area and the 
relationship that there should be physical separation between the 
two.  Note that this provides a very North American/western Europe 
reference and not necessarily one that covers a tent.  So a given RM 
already provides a perspective.

Given RA concepts, various RAs show how these concepts can be 
arranged in a useful pattern.  So RA examples would be (sorry for the 
American terms) a colonial, a split-level, a rambler, etc.  You can 
play with the pattern but one can say that any given pattern serves a 
particular set of purposes (e.g. a rambler is on one level for those 
who want/need to avoid stairs).

An architecture is then a specific plan to build a house or set of 
houses.  There can still be some variations but you don't do things 
like moving fireplaces or structural walls, else you have a new architecture.

Chew this one over and see what you think.

Ken

--
      ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   /   Ken 
Laskey                                                                \
  |    MITRE Corporation, M/S H305    phone:  703-983-7934   |
  |    7515 Colshire Drive                    fax:      703-983-1379   |
   \   McLean VA 22102-7508                                              /
     ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------