A Reference Architecture for Quantum Computing as a Service
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Quantum computers (QCs) aim to disrupt the status-quo of computing – replacing traditional systems and platforms that are driven by digital circuits and modular software – with hardware and software that operates on the principle of quantum mechanics. QCs that rely on quantum mechanics can exploit quantum circuits (i.e., quantum bits for manipulating quantum gates) to achieve "quantum computational supremacy" over traditional, i.e., digital computing systems. Currently, the issues that impede mass-scale adoption of quantum systems are rooted in the fact that building, maintaining, and/or programming QCs is a complex and radically distinct engineering paradigm when compared to challenges of classical computing and software engineering. Quantum service orientation is seen as a solution that synergises the research on service computing and quantum software engineering (QSE) to allow developers and users to build and utilise quantum software services based on pay-per-shot utility computing model. The pay-per-shot model represents a single execution of instruction on quantum processing unit and it allows vendors (e.g., Amazon Braket) to offer their QC platforms, simulators, software services etc. to enterprises and individuals who do not need to own or maintain quantum systems. This research contributes by 1) developing a reference architecture for enabling quantum computing as a service, 2) implementing microservices with the quantum-classic split pattern as an architectural use-case, and 3) evaluating the reference architecture based on feedback by 22 practitioners. In the QSE context, the research focuses on unifying architectural methods and service-orientation patterns to promote reuse knowledge and best practices to tackle emerging and futuristic challenges of architecting and implementing Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS).
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