Glossary
Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)
Tags: Glossary
A computer system term that describes a software architectural concept that defines the use of services to support business requirements. In an SOA, resources are made available to other participants in the network as independent services that are accessed in a standardized way. Most definitions of SOA identify the use of web services (using SOAP and WSDL) in its implementation; however, it is possible to implement SOA using any service-based technology.
What is Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)?
Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a software architectural concept that is used to support business requirements in computer systems. It is a way of organizing and designing software systems to make them more flexible, scalable, and reusable.
In an SOA, resources are made available to other participants in the network as independent services. These services can be accessed in a standardized way, which means that they can be easily used by different applications and systems. This allows for better integration and interoperability between different software components.
One of the key features of SOA is the use of web services. Web services are a technology that allows different software systems to communicate with each other over a network. They use a standardized set of protocols, such as SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) and WSDL (Web Services Description Language), to define how the services can be accessed and used.
However, it is important to note that SOA is not limited to web services. It is possible to implement SOA using any service-based technology. The main idea behind SOA is to break down complex software systems into smaller, independent services that can be easily combined and reused. These services can be implemented using different technologies, as long as they can be accessed and used in a standardized way.
By adopting an SOA approach, organizations can benefit from increased flexibility and agility in their software systems. Services can be developed and deployed independently, which allows for faster development cycles and easier maintenance. It also enables organizations to adapt and respond to changing business requirements more effectively.
In conclusion, Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a software architectural concept that uses services to support business requirements. It allows for the creation of flexible and reusable software systems by breaking them down into smaller, independent services. While web services are commonly used in the implementation of SOA, it is possible to implement SOA using any service-based technology. Adopting an SOA approach can bring numerous benefits to organizations, including increased flexibility, scalability, and agility in their software systems.