Enterprise Content Management and Service Oriented Architecture

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