The Web Services Interoperability Organization (WS-I), which offers
application development guidance, has released draft versions of a
series of documents intended to describe the design and deployment
of a sample, standards-compliant Web services application.
The drafts include a sample technical architecture, using cases and
usage scenarios documentation illustrating material covered in
WS-I's Basic Profile 1.0.
The Basic Profile, the first project the group undertook, is an
implementation guide on using a set of core standards in developing
interoperable Web services. A draft version was released in
October, and a final version of the Basic Profile is scheduled for
release during the second quarter.
The new documents released yesterday are intended to define best
practices for using the Basic Profile, and to offer real-world
implementation information for customers building applications for
Web services.
Web services technology aims at creating a common infrastructure
for connecting via the Internet's diverse applications, allowing
heterogeneous IT systems to interact with each other. While other
groups oversee the standards involved, WS-I assists developers with
the practical work of creating interoperable software.
The WS-I's Sample Application Technical Architecture explains the
design and implementation of a supply-chain management application
that uses elements covered in the Basic Profile, including several
schema-naming conventions, Soap (Simple Object Access Protocol)
message formats and styles, and WSDL (Web Services Description
Language) design practices.
The WS-I's Use Cases document describes the high-level interactions
among participants in the sample application, including retailers,
warehouses and manufacturers. Another companion document, the
WS-I's Usage Scenarios, translates the application's use cases into
a set of technical requirements.
WS-I is now soliciting feedback on the documents, posted for review
on its Web site, at
www.ws-i.org.