====== 6.4.1 Architectural Description ======

[[public:00-sip-ra:06-specific-requirements-on-proposals:06-4-required-submission-content:start|Return to Required Submission Content]]

The architectural description defines the structural organization of the proposed [[public:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:r:reference_architecture|Reference Architecture]], including its elements, responsibilities, relationships, interaction constructs, attachment points, processing flows, boundary constructs, and [[public:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:g:governance|Governance]] abstractions.

===== Requirements =====

^ Requirement ^ Statement ^
| [[public:00-sip-ra:99-annexes:annex-c-requirements:sip-044-structured-architectural-description|SIP-044 — Structured Architectural Description]] | {{section>public:00-sip-ra:99-annexes:annex-c-requirements:sip-044-structured-architectural-description#Statement&noheader&nofooter&noeditbtn}} |
| [[public:00-sip-ra:99-annexes:annex-c-requirements:sip-045-architectural-visual-representations|SIP-045 — Architectural Visual Representations]] | {{section>public:00-sip-ra:99-annexes:annex-c-requirements:sip-045-architectural-visual-representations#Statement&noheader&nofooter&noeditbtn}} |

===== Required Coverage =====

The architectural description required by SIP-044 includes the architectural information governed by the following requirements:

^ Requirement ^ Required Architectural Information ^
| [[public:00-sip-ra:99-annexes:annex-c-requirements:sip-003-reference-architecture-constituents|SIP-003 — Reference Architecture Constituents]] | Architectural elements, roles, responsibilities, relationships, and interaction constructs |
| [[public:00-sip-ra:99-annexes:annex-c-requirements:sip-005-structured-information-flow|SIP-005 — Structured Information Flow]] | Architectural constructs representing the flow of structured information |
| [[public:00-sip-ra:99-annexes:annex-c-requirements:sip-006-ordered-modular-processing-flows|SIP-006 — Ordered Modular Processing Flows]] | Ordered processing flows composed of modular components |
| [[public:00-sip-ra:99-annexes:annex-c-requirements:sip-007-structured-information-attachment-points|SIP-007 — Structured Information Attachment Points]] | Attachment points through which structured information enters and exits architectural elements |
| [[public:00-sip-ra:99-annexes:annex-c-requirements:sip-008-information-boundary-constructs|SIP-008 — Information Boundary Constructs]] | Boundary constructs governing ingress, transformation, and egress |
| [[public:00-sip-ra:99-annexes:annex-c-requirements:sip-019-data-plane-and-control-plane-separation|SIP-019 — Data Plane and Control Plane Separation]] | Architectural separation between the data plane and the control plane |
| [[public:00-sip-ra:99-annexes:annex-c-requirements:sip-020-governance-constraints-and-interface-contracts|SIP-020 — Governance Constraints and Interface Contracts]] | Separation of Governance constraints from Interface Contracts |

===== Notes for Editors =====

The requirement identifiers and short titles link to the authoritative requirement records in Annex C.

The Statements for SIP-044 and SIP-045 are transcluded from their corresponding Annex C requirement pages and are not independently maintained copies.

Make changes to a Statement on its Annex C requirement page.

The Required Coverage table provides a nonnormative summary of the architectural information governed by the referenced requirements. The corresponding Annex C records remain authoritative.

SIP-042 requires the Submission to include a complete specification addressing all applicable requirements. SIP-044 establishes that the specification includes a structured architectural description. Together, they require the architectural description to document the applicable information governed by SIP-003, SIP-005 through SIP-008, SIP-019, and SIP-020.

SIP-045 requires visual representations as specification deliverables. It does not make the notation used to create those representations mandatory for conforming implementations.

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