TABLE OF CONTENTS Service-oriented architectures are all about connections. This chapter describes those connections. It begins with an analogy to connections used in audio-video (AV) systems (specifically, services in a service-oriented architecture are to AV components as Web Services are to the connections between AV components). Service-oriented architectures then are explained in more detail. This is followed by a description of ways that organizations of any size can use a service-oriented architecture and why most organizations likely will experience a blurring of internal and external services. Then Web Services are explained along with the use of XML. (Web Services using XML are the most common connections in a service-oriented architecture [.1]) The chapter wraps up with a summary of the security and authorization specifications related to Web Services.
| Note | More often than not, you can look to the past to find a pattern that will allow you to predict the future. I had an epiphany of this sort concerning the future of software systems architecture when recently upgrading my AV system. The past in this case is the evolution of AV systems. My AV system has components that have been purchased over the years. I wanted to add a DVD player to my system. The system has the usual cable box, receiver, VCR, CD player, speakers, and television set. One of the oldest components is the receiver and the DVD had connections that the receiver could not handle, such as s-video and optical connections. It did, however, have the common three... |
