SOA Specifications

Home	Second-Generation (WS-*) Web Services	First-Generation Web Services	Core XML Platform

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The W3C framework for Web services consists of a foundation built on top of three core XML specifications: WSDL, SOAP, and UDDI. These technology standards, coupled with service-oriented design principles, form a basic XML-driven SOA.

This first-generation Web services architecture allows for the creation of independent Web services capable of encapsulating isolated units of business functionality. It also has a number of limitations, which have been addressed in a second generation of specifications.

Below are resources for each of the first-generation Web services specifications referenced in the books.

Web Services Description Language (WSDL)

Web services need to be defined in a consistent manner so that they can be discovered by and interfaced with other services and applications. The Web Services Description Language is a W3C specification providing the foremost language for the description of Web service definitions.

WSDL 1.1
Status: Working Group Note
Location: W3C (html)

WSDL 2.0 Part 1 (core language)
Status: Recommendation
Location: W3C (html)

WSDL 2.0 Part 2 (message patterns)
Status: Recommendation
Location: W3C (html)

Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)

Although originally conceived as a technology to bridge the gap between disparate RPC-based communication platforms, SOAP has evolved into the most widely supported messaging format and protocol for use with XML Web services.

The SOAP specification establishes a standard message format that consists of an XML document capable of hosting RPC and document-centric data. This facilitates synchronous (request and response) as well as asynchronous (process-driven) data exchange models. With WSDL establishing a standard endpoint description format for applications, the document-centric message format is much more common.

SOAP 1.1
Status: W3C Note
Location: W3C (html)

SOAP 1.2 Part 0 (primer)
Status: Recommendation
Location: W3C (html)

SOAP 1.2 Part 1 (messaging framework)
Status: Recommendation
Location: W3C (html)

SOAP 1.2 Part 2 (adjuncts)
Status: Recommendation
Location: W3C (html)

SOAP 1.2 (assertions and test collection)
Status: Recommendation
Location: W3C (html)

SOAP Message Transmission Optimization Mechanism (MTOM)
Status: Recommendation
Location: W3C (html)

XML-binary Optimized Packaging (XOP)
Status: Recommendation
Location: W3C (html)

Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI)

One of the fundamental components of a service-oriented architecture is a mechanism for Web service descriptions to be discovered by potential requestors. To establish this part of a Web services framework, a central directory to host service descriptions is required. Such a directory can become an integral part of an organization or an Internet community, so much so, it is considered an extension to infrastructure.

This is why the Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration specification has become increasingly important. A key part of UDDI is the standardization of profile records stored within such a directory, also known as a registry. Depending on who the registry is intended for, different implementations can be created.

UDDI 2.0 Specifications
Status: Standard
Location: OASIS (html)

UDDI 3.0 Specifications
Status: Standard
Location: OASIS (html)

WS-I Profiles and Web Services Architecture

To promote the evolution of industry standard, interoperable Web services platforms, architecture and technology profile specifications have been developed by the WS-I and the W3C, respectively.

WS-I Basic Profile 1.0a
Status: Final Material
Location: WS-I (html)

WS-I Basic Profile 1.1
Status: Working Group Draft
Location: WS-I (html)

WS-I Basic Profile 1.2
Status: Board Approval Draft
Location: WS-I (html)

WS-I Basic Security Profile 1.0
Status: Final Material
Location: WS-I (html)

WS-I Basic Security Profile 1.1
Status: Working Group Approval Draft
Location: WS-I (html)

WS-I Simple SOAP Binding Profile 1.0
Status: Working Group Draft
Location: WS-I (html)

WS-I Attachments Profile 1.0
Status: Final Material
Location: WS-I (html)

Web Services Architecture
Status: Working Group Note
Location: W3C (html)

SOA Design Patterns
by Thomas Erl

Foreword by Grady Booch.

With contributions from David Chappell, Jason Hogg, Anish Karmarkar, Mark Little, David Orchard, Satadru Roy, Thomas Rischbeck, Arnaud Simon, Clemens Utschig, Dennis Wisnosky, and others.

Web Service Contract Design & Versioning
for SOA
by Thomas Erl, Anish Karmarkar, Priscilla Walmsley, Hugo Haas, Umit Yalcinalp, Canyang Kevin Liu, David Orchard, Andre Tost, James Pasley

SOA Principles
of Service Design
by Thomas Erl

An in-depth guide dedicated to service engineering with a thorough exploration of the design principles that comprise the service-orientation design paradigm (including a comparison with object-orientation).

Service-Oriented Architecture:
Concepts, Technology, and Design
by Thomas Erl

The first "how-to" guide to building SOA, providing coverage of WS-* specifications, .NET and J2EE platforms, and step-by-step processes for service-oriented analysis and design.