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Introduction to Web services architecture

 Award plaque by K. Gottschalk,
S. Graham,
H. Kreger,
and J. Snell

This paper introduces the major components of, and standards associated with, the Web services architecture. The different roles associated with the Web services architecture and the programming stack for Web services are described. The architectural elements of Web services are then related to a real-world business scenario in order to illustrate how the Web services approach helps solve real business problems.

Originally published:

IBM Systems Journal, Volume 41, Issue 2, pp. 170-177 (2002).

Significance:

This highly cited tutorial paper presents a brief overview of the concepts and standards of the major Web services and then a business scenario showing how Web services standards are used to solve problems in a business situation. Web services are described in terms of a service-oriented architecture (SOA). Service-oriented architecture represents a paradigm shift for both information technology and business. SOA is the main approach for dealing with the interoperability of heterogeneous IT systems. For businesses the service-oriented approach helps automate the managing of business processes, enabling flexibility and timely changes consistent with the IBM corporate strategy for business on demand.

Service-oriented architecture was the theme of Volume 44, Number 4 of the IBM Systems Journal, published in 2005.

Comments:

Related issue: Service-Oriented Architecture (SJ 2005)

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