| “Web
Services” refers to a next-generation distributed computing
model. The model assumes that the various components of the architecture
will be versioned, replaced or augmented. Thus, web services are
packaged into ‘profiles’ that act as a pre-configured
solution. When most people think of Web Services, they tend to
think of the WS-Basic Profile,
that is, the combination of SOAP,
UDDI & WSDL.
It is apparent that the rapid evolution of Web
Services will continue to challenge any single definition. However,
the guiding principles for Web Services will likely remain a combination
of:
|
- Service Oriented (capable of distributed
computing)
- Specification based, and mostly open
- Use of meta-languages, focused on programming
language and platform independence
Many view web services
as the next big thing in commercial software because it standardizes
interoperability across platforms. This enables internal applications
to connect more easily as well as provides a means to connect
business-trading partners via the Extended
Enterprise.
|
