Reference Model of Open Distributed Processing (RM-ODP): Introduction

The Reference Model of Open Distributed Processing (RM-ODP) was a joint effort by the international standards bodies ISO and ITU-T to develop a coordinating framework for the standardisation of open distributed processing (ODP). The model describes an architecture within which support of distribution, interworking, interoperability and portability can be integrated. The RM-ODP framework defines ODP concerns using five “viewpoints” (abstractions), namely enterprise, information, computational, engineering, and technology. This tutorial introduces the reference model, describing the viewpoints and some of the ODP functions and transparencies.