SIP-022 — Technology-Independent Conformance Points

Go to Annex C: Requirements

The conformance Model SHALL define conformance points that support inspection and verification independently of implementation technology.

A platform-independent Reference Architecture may have multiple implementations that use different products, programming languages, protocols, deployment environments, or processing technologies. Conformance must therefore be evaluated against architectural obligations rather than against the internal details of one implementation.

Technology-independent conformance points identify where and how to assess satisfaction of an architectural requirement. They allow different implementations to provide comparable Evidence without requiring identical technologies.

The Submission satisfies this requirement when the conformance Model:

1. Defines each conformance point as an identifiable architectural construct
2. Associates each conformance point with one or more conformance requirements
3. Identifies the architectural element, Role, relationship, interaction, or Artifact evaluated at the conformance point
4. Defines the condition or result that demonstrates conformance
5. Identifies the Evidence needed to support the conformance determination
6. Supports inspection, analysis, demonstration, testing, or another appropriate verification method
7. Avoids requiring a particular product, programming language, protocol, or implementation platform
8. Allows different implementations to be evaluated against the same architectural obligation
9. Supports Traceability among the conformance point, requirement, Evidence, and determination

Technology independence does not prohibit a platform-specific conformance profile from defining additional verification procedures. Such procedures must remain traceable to the applicable technology-independent conformance point.

A conformance point identifies an architectural location or subject of evaluation. It does not necessarily require a runtime network endpoint or software instrumentation point.