Introduction to Service-Oriented Architectures

Connected Services Framework 3.0 SP1

When you create an application that is service-oriented, you can create composable, reusable XML Web services to perform various tasks for the application. Although this approach can be used to create any system or application, it has been most frequently used to create distributed applications. Service-oriented architecture (SOA) enables you to reuse existing XML Web services and create new Web services, even if they have been created by using different platforms and programming languages, without being concerned about how each service implements the action it performs. This means you can create powerful applications and systems that retain enough flexibility for you to add or remove services when the need arises.

If you build applications by using SOA, you can also easily upgrade, version, and replace component services when your application and business needs evolve. Because you are not concerned about proprietary protocols or technologies, you can focus on how to make your applications available as XML Web services.

SOA helps you to develop systems and applications that can save money in your IT budgets, because you can include Web services that are outside of your enterprise or domain of control and minimize the development of new components or services that perform particular tasks in your application.