| Visualize the following scenario: All | | | | to whatever application calls for it. |
| enterprise content (wherever generated by | | | | |
| whatever entity) goes into a single | | | | The pool of services can be configured to |
| repository and users can receive different | | | | create new applications if needed. This kind |
| services (that they were receiving from | | | | of architecture adds flexibility and quicker |
| different applications earlier, or are | | | | deployment to content management systems. |
| completely new services) from an integrated | | | | |
| system with a standard front end. Service | | | | Available services are listed in a service |
| Oriented Architecture, Enterprise Application | | | | registry that can be looked up by |
| Integration, and Data Warehousing work to | | | | applications for calling the service they |
| make this scenario a reality. | | | | need. The services would come with any |
| | | | attached security requirements appropriate to |
| Data warehouses, unlike transactional | | | | the service. |
| databases, are designed to facilitate | | | | |
| querying and analysis. They are separated | | | | In an ideal system, one service or another |
| from transactional databases so that the | | | | would cater to every kind of information |
| latter are not burdened with query/analysis | | | | management need, and there would be a |
| processing requests. These kinds of requests | | | | standard look and feel for the interface. |
| tend to use the processing resources, slowing | | | | Additionally, information management would be |
| down transaction processing response times. | | | | customizable to the requirements of the |
| | | | organization's business processes. |
| Enterprise Application Integration seeks to | | | | |
| integrate the different applications to | | | | Internet Protocols and SOA |
| eliminate duplication of both content and | | | | |
| processing operations. | | | | Internet Protocols work independent of |
| | | | platforms and programming languages and work |
| This article explores how Service Oriented | | | | on the service request and delivery model. |
| Architecture works. | | | | For example, a user client might request a |
| | | | certain document and the server complies with |
| The Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) | | | | the request by retrieving the document and |
| | | | sending it to the client. |
| This style of architecture groups | | | | |
| functionalities into specific service groups. | | | | This makes the web-services approach a good |
| The services are provided to manage business | | | | Service Oriented Architectural approach. You |
| processes that support an organization's | | | | can make your existing applications web |
| business. | | | | enabled to start building a SOA system. |
| | | | |
| The enterprise-wide system is structured as a | | | | All services are described in XML documents |
| collection of standard services that | | | | that are independent of platforms, and |
| different applications used by employees, | | | | written in Web Services Description Language |
| suppliers, and customers need. These | | | | (WSDL). An XML schema enables communication |
| different applications might even be working | | | | among the services. |
| on different platforms and coded in different | | | | |
| programming languages. Each service is | | | | A web service is not the only technology that |
| designed to work with any application that | | | | can be used by SOA. SOA is an architecture |
| calls it, and would not know which | | | | that can be implemented using different |
| application would call it. Its role is to | | | | technologies. |
| provide a defined service in a standard way | | | | |