A Reference Architecture for Embedding Quantum Software into Enterprise Systems

Uphues, Marc; Thöne, Sebastian; Kuchen, Herbert

Research article in edited proceedings (conference) | Peer reviewed

Abstract

Software architectures of enterprise systems should consider specific characteristics and quality attributes when collaborating with quantum computing services. This paper presents a modular reference architecture for embedding quantum software into enterprise systems. Its building blocks consist of loosely coupled and distributed services that implement both quantum-independent and quantum-specific tasks. Their orchestration forms a stable and reusable pipeline, specified as an executable BPMN model. The proposed reference architecture is utilized in two case studies addressing combinatorial challenges from operations research.