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Articles, Webcasts, Events
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onSOA Podcast Channel
(six new podcasts from Thomas Erl,
December 2007)
The OnSOA Podcast Channel is dedicated to exploring a wide range of topics related to SOA, service-orientation and service-oriented computing. A new podcast will be released each week, starting with a series of sessions by best-selling SOA author Thomas Erl. SOA design patterns, design principles and strategic goals are covered, as Thomas provides some insight into his recently released "SOA: Principles of Service Design" book as well as his upcoming "SOA Design Patterns" title. Many additional industry experts will be interviewed throughout 2008, including several authors from the "Prentice Hall Service-Oriented Computing Series"...
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Public Review of SOA Design Patterns
(from Thomas Erl, December 2007)
The author is collecting feedback, opions, contributions, and validation from professionals and practioners from around the world in order to finalize the manuscript for a scheduled publication in March, 2008. SOAPatterns.org will subsequently remain a community resource site, containing revised, concise descriptions of all SOA design patterns and allowing for new design patterns to be published and reviewed on an on-going basis...
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Understanding Service Design for SOA
(for Gartner by Thomas Erl, December 2007)
This workshop goes beyond the basics to explore service-orientation and various analyses and design techniques for successfully realizing the strategic benefits associated with SOA and service-oriented computing. By learning what constitutes a truly "service-oriented" solution, you will gain clarity in a marketplace where many products and services are being feely branded "SOA". It will help you determine what you need in order to best apply service-orientation for your own unique requirements...
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Strategic Benefits of SOA and Service-Orientation
(for DERI by Thomas Erl, September 2007)
The key to fully realizing the strategic goals of SOA and service-oriented computing lies in an understanding of the service-orientation design paradigm. By referencing his newly released book "SOA: Principles of Service Design", Thomas Erl will establish the primary goals of SOA and discuss how they are directly linked to the successful application of specific service-orientation design principles. Additional concepts, such as service inventories, complex compositions, and contract coupling are also covered...
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Business Oriented Aspects concerning Semantics and Methodologies in Service-oriented Computing
(for ICSOC by Thomas Erl, September 2007)
Keynote speech at the SemSoC workshop in Vienna, Austria as part of the International Conference on Service Oriented Computing (ICSOC) 2007. Thomas discussed the Mainstream SOA Methodology and his recently published book "SOA: Principles of Service Design", and other current issues pertaining to the increasingly business-centric emphasis of modern SOA initiatives...
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Origins and Influences of Service Orientation
(for Dr. Dobbs by Thomas Erl, August 2007)
It is often said that the best way to understand something is to gain knowledge of its history. Service-orientation, by no means, is a design paradigm that just came out of nowhere. It is very much a representation of the evolution of IT and therefore has many roots in past paradigms and technologies. At the same time, it is still in a state of evolution itself and therefore remains subject to influences from on-going trends and movements...
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Strategic SOA Webcast
(for IPL by Thomas Erl, July 2007)
Thomas delivered a 90 minute Webcast arranged by Publicity Matters for IPL and as part of an official book launch for "SOA: Principles of Service Design" in the United Kingdom. The event involved the priority printing and delivery of 200 copies of the book directly from a Prentice Hall bindery. Read the behind-the-scenes story as to how this rush order affected the release of the newest Harry Potter novel: Displacing Harry Potter - How a UK software company knocked JK Rowling off the printing presses
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SOA Challenges
(Interview with Thomas Erl, July 2007)
While in Sao Pauolo Thomas Erl was interviewed by the Chief Editor of the Brazilian publication PortalBPM. With advance knowledge of the interview, readers of the magazine had an opportunity to submit questions for Thomas. The chosen questions were then presented during the interview with an emphasis on addressing concerns and criticisms in relation to SOA. The hour-long interview allowed Thomas to provide detailed responses, repeatedly clarifying the common misperception that SOA was synonymous with the use of Web services...
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SOAMethodology.com
(by Thomas Erl, July 2007)
One of the greatest challenges to carrying out successful SOA projects is in understanding how they should be carried out. Without being able to rely on proven processes and practices, an SOA initiative can turn into a high-risk venture because you simply may not know what to expect. A sound methodology can alleviate this risk by providing a solid foundation from where you can shape a delivery approach that accommodates your goals and requirements while also laying out a path to realizing the benefits of SOA and service-oriented computing...
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SOA Seminario Internacional
(Workshop in Sao Paulo by Thomas Erl, May 2007)
An in-depth public workshop geared toward the adoption of SOA and service-oriented computing with a focus on issues specific to traditional non-North American markets. Issues covered include service design, analysis phases, architectural considerations, methodology and processes, delivery strategies, and coverage of both relevant XML and Web services technologies...
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SOAPrinciples.com
(by Thomas Erl, May 2007)
This site introduces the design principles that comprise the service-orientation design paradigm and further explores various aspects and effects of applying service-orientation in the real world. Becoming proficient with the concepts and principles of service-orientation equips you with an understanding of what is and is not considered "service-oriented" within the world of solution design. This understanding leads to a clear comprehension of how to shape solution logic specifically in support of the strategic goals and benefits associated with SOA and service-oriented computing...
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WhatIsSOA.com
(by Thomas Erl, May 2007)
While there is no one recognized definition of SOA, there is a baseline of concepts and principles that exists among all of the organizations, platforms, and initiatives that have influenced and continue to shape the SOA movement. For any IT professional, project team, or organization interested in moving ahead with SOA, this baseline perspective is extremely important to understand because it reflects a current, industry-level, and vendor-agnostic representation of what SOA is in the real world...
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Goals and Benefits of SOA
and Service-Oriented Computing
(Opening Keynote by Thomas Erl for the Information Technology Conference in Ottawa, April 2007)
The increased adoption rate of SOA has placed an unprecedented emphasis on enterprise unification, design standardization, and the acceptance of a new organizational model in support of anticipated governance requirements. This presentation establishes some common concepts associated with the adoption of service-oriented computing in general and then provides insight into the “how and why” behind some of the larger SOA initiatives that are currently on-going. Throughout the talk, Mr. Erl will share adoption and trend-related metrics and statistics collected first-hand from a range of SOA projects.
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SOA Design Workshop
(Workshop in Vancouver by Thomas Erl, March 2007)
A two-day public workshop dedicated to service design, defining the service-oriented architectural model, and service-oriented computing in general. Areas covered include recent changes in Web services technologies and established and emerging WS-* specifications and related vendor platforms...
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Fundamental SOA for Software Architects
(Webcast by Thomas Erl, January 2007)
Join best-selling author Thomas Erl for a two-hour exploration of the service-oriented architectural model and the service-orientation design paradigm. Topics range from strategic benefits to specific design and architecture characteristics, as well as common adoption techniques. With an emphasis on building services as Web services, analysis and design processes are also discussed in support of establishing a technology architecture that is business-driven yet also based on a consistently vendor-agnostic context.
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Workshop Keynote
(by Thomas Erl for the 4th International Conference on Service-Oriented Computing in Chicago, December 2006)
Thomas kicked off the event with an opening keynote discussing various service design issues and delivery strategies, as well as common design patterns and best practices. Topics addressing SOA as a technology architecture and individual design characteristics required for effective service design were highlighted.
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Service-Oriented Analysis & Design
(Workshop by Thomas Erl for the Gartner Application Development Summit in Phoenix, September 2006)
This workshop provides techniques, best practices, and guidelines for producing high-quality service designs with the intention of maximizing reuse and ROI. The various phases are explained as distinct processes that focus exclusively on shaping and partitioning automation logic through service-orientation.
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The SOA Magazine
(Magazine Launch August 28, 2006, Editor Thomas Erl)
In collaboration with Prentice Hall, Pearson Education, and media partners, SOA Systems launched a new online magazine site called "The SOA Magazine". This monthly publication is dedicated to providing specialized SOA articles, case studies, and papers by industry experts. The SOA Magazine is officially associated with the "Prentice Hall Service-Oriented Computing Series from Thomas Erl" and can be accessed at: www.soamag.com or www.soamagazine.com
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A Roadmap to SOA and Service-Oriented Computing
(Feature Keynote by Thomas Erl for the Infonex SOA Conference in Ottawa, August 2006)
To fully understand service-oriented architecture the IT community needs to become more familiar with the complexion of the service-oriented computing platform. Understanding service-oriented computing requires a fundamental comprehension of the meaning and significance of a service in the enterprise. And, to to build services as part of a standardized SOA requires an understanding of how automation logic can be shaped into something we can legitimately call "service-oriented." Mapping services in support of the strategic goals of SOA is the first step toward building an effective SOA roadmap.
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Drivers Wanted: SOA Roadmap
(APICS Extra incorporating interview with Thomas Erl, by Elizabeth Rennie, July 2006)
...today’s software vendors are shouting service-oriented architecture (SOA) from the rooftops. It seems everyone is talking about the technology’s ability to create interoperability among processes and systems—and the momentum will only increase as SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft continue aggressively developing and promoting their own technical architecture advancements.
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Interview with Thomas Erl
(Wall Street Journal, by Lee Gomes, July 2006)
The July 18th issue of the Wall Street Journal published an interview with Thomas Erl about the current state of SOA. WSJ Technology Writer Lee Gomes conducted the interview, which touched on how SOA is changing the way we build automation systems and the common challenges organizations face during its adoption. The interview was published as part of the Talking Tech column under the title "Deciphering a Hot Tech Acronym: Can It Improve Software Building?".
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"SOA Adoption Strategies"
(Post-Conference Workshop by Thomas Erl for the SOA Conference in Singapore, June 2006)
During this session, Thomas will discuss how SOA is capable of fostering organisation-wide agility, how service-orientation acts as its underlying and evolving design paradigm, and how the dynamics between vendors and standards organisation are shaping the still volatile SOA landscape. Thomas will be providing a series of recommendations for how to best adopt service-orientation, avoid critical pitfalls, and transition toward achieving a standardised SOA. |
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"The Roadmap to Implementing SOA"
(Opening Keynote Speech by Thomas Erl for the SOA Conference in Singapore, June 2006)
The service-oriented computing platform is making significant advancements this year and is evolving into an increasingly important part of any organisation’s future planning efforts. Understanding this vision behind service-oriented computing platform and the sevice-oriented architectural model is the first step to creating a roadmap designed to fulfill your organisation’s strategic goals through a successful adoption of SOA. In this keynote, Thomas will discuss some of the primary considerations of SOA transition planning. |
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"Designing and Implementing Web Services for SOA"
(Webcast by Thomas Erl as part of the EDS Top Gun program, May 2006)
In this hour-long, interactive Webcast, designated Top Gun Thomas Erl covered specific techniques and methods for designing web services for an SOA environment. The session was attended by architects and developers from EDS offices all around the world.
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"Thomas Erl on why we should focus on service-orientation more than SOA"
(Interview with SearchWebServices.com, May 2006)
Following some of the recent attention surrounding concerns about how SOA is being defined and perceived, we asked noted author and industry expert Thomas Erl for his comments. In the following exclusive Q&A with SearchWebServices.com Thomas explains why he thinks the industry is focusing on the wrong issue.
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"Modeling, Design, and Analysis for Service-oriented Architecture Workshop"
(by the 2006 IEEE International Conferences on Services Computing)
Thomas is on the program committee of the mda4soa'06, which aims to bring together researchers and industry practitioners to promote and foster a greater understanding of how service-oriented architectures can assist business to business and enterprise application integration.
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"Real Word Service-Oriented Computing"
by Thomas Erl
(Stars Conference Presentation, May 2006)
A real world perspective of service-oriented computing with a focus on public sector applications and Web services security advancements for federal and regional law enforcement. Sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Department of Homeland Security, attendance for this event was limited to law enforcement and federal agents.
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"Service-Oriented Architecture - A Buzzword with Substance" by Thomas Erl
(Interview with Canada's Research & Education Network, April 2006)
The CANARIE Times had a chance to speak with Thomas Erl, the leading SOA author in the world, about Service-Oriented Architecture, a concept that is gaining popularity in the ICT industry and is being implemented by leading businesses around the world...
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"Business Analysis and SOA Parts 1-6"
by Thomas Erl
(Six-Part Article Series for the SOA Advisor from TechTarget, March-June 2006)
This six-part series is dedicated to exploring how SOA and service-orientation relate to and affect business analysis processes and approaches. Acclaimed author Thomas Erl shares his insights into the world of service-oriented business analysis and business service modeling...
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"The Principles of Service-Orientation Parts 1-6"
by Thomas Erl
(Six-Part Article Series for the SOA Advisor from TechTarget, March-June 2006)
This six-part series is dedicated to exploring the common principles of service-orientation. Acclaimed author Thomas Erl shares his insights into the service-orientation design paradigm...
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"Standardizing Service Endpoints"
by Thomas Erl
(Oracle Technology Network, February 2006)
More than any prior distributed-computing architecture, service-oriented architecture (SOA) demands a consistent commitment to standardization. The broad scope of SOA transition efforts provides an opportunity to incorporate far-reaching standardization in support of attaining a state of homogeneity and federation across different technical platforms within an enterprise. This article explains how extra effort spent during the design of service interface definitions can help foster standardized SOA...
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"SOA, the Service-Orientation Paradigm, and the Service Oriented Computing Landscape"
(Keynote for SOA Symposium by Thomas Erl, also video taped and broadcast live via Webcast, December 2005)
SOA leverages contemporary distributed technologies and establishes a potential to unite business and automation on an unprecedented level. All major software vendors are now officially supporting SOA and driving the service-oriented computing platform into the IT mainstream on a global scale...
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"Business-Centric SOA: Using Service-Orientation to Express Business Logic and Rules through Services"
(Webcast by Thomas Erl for SearchWebServices.com/Bitpipe, November 2005)
One of the greatest challenges organizations are facing is how business logic and rules relate to and can be expressed through services. Join Thomas Erl, the world's top-selling SOA author, for a discussion of business-centric SOA. Thomas will discuss service-oriented analysis, service modeling, and the process of building business-centric services as part of a business service abstraction layer...
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"The Top 5 SOA Adoption Pitfalls of 2005"
by Thomas Erl
(SOAInstitute.org, November 2005)
Many SOA initiatives were launched this year, each with its own set of goals and expectations. Some failed miserably, while others failed just a little. For many, the determining factor in fulfilling their original objectives was drawing upon the experience of those who had already survived projects with less fortunate results. These individuals lived to tell their stories and warn others of what lies ahead along the path toward SOA...
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Feature Cover Article
"The Principles of Service-Orientation"
by Thomas Erl
(Web Services Journal, September 2005)
With the unwavering prominence of service-oriented architecture (SOA) there is an increasing interest in understanding what exactly it means for something to be considered “service-oriented.” Thomas Erl recently completed a lengthy research project for SOA Systems Inc. into the origins of SOA and the current state of service-orientation among all primary SOA technology platforms. This body of work contributed to the mainstream SOA methodology developed by SOA Systems and was also documented in Thomas’s new book, “Service-Oriented Architecture: Concepts, Technology, and Design.” We caught up with Thomas (a previous contributor to WSJ) to ask that he share some of the insights he gained from his work with SOA and service-orientation...
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"A Must-Read for Architects and System Integrators"
by Art Sedighi
(IEEE Software, September/October 2005)
Of the many books that cover Web services and service-oriented architecture, Service-Oriented Architecture: A Field Guide to Integrating XML and Web Services will certainly go down in history as one of the best...
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"Service-Oriented Architecture: Fundamentals, Impacts, and Strategies" by Thomas Erl
(Live Webcast for the Great Writers NetSeminar by Dr. Dobb’s Journal, September 2005)
Dobb’s Journal and C/C++ User’s Journal are pleased to present Thomas Erl, author of Service-Oriented Architecture: Concepts, Technology, and Design, as a presenter in the new Great Writers NetSeminar Series. When you attend this webcast you’ll get information and insight from one of today’s top SOA specialists. During the session, Thomas will present SOA principles, strategy, and best practices. You can also submit questions and take part in the interactive question and answer session that will follow his presentation.
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"Web Services and Contemporary SOA: Advanced Messaging, Metadata, and Security"
by Thomas Erl
(IBM developerWorks Rational Edge, August 2005)
from The Rational Edge: From a new book that provides a full tutorial on SOA modeling and design, this excerpt covers advanced concepts related to addressing, reliable messaging, metadata exchange, security, and more...
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"Core Principles for Service-Oriented Architectures" by Thomas Erl
(LooselyCoupled.com, August 2005)
To fully understand how service-orientation principles can shape automation logic within contemporary service-oriented solutions, several additional aspects of service orientation need to be explored. For example, the relationship between object orientation and service orientation should be understood. For example, several service-orientation principles have roots in corresponding object-orientation principles, whereas others fundamentally oppose each other. An appreciation of commonalities and differences assists in determining how and when each paradigm should be applied...
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"Paths to SOA - High Roads, Low Roads, and Roads Less Traveled" by Thomas Erl
(WLDJ, August 2005)
Many are comparing notes on two well publicized paths to achieving SOA. The bottom-up approach is currently the most common variety, where Web services are created on an “as need” basis to fulfill mostly integration-related requirements. These services are typically application-specific and simply recreate traditional integration channels over the open Web services communication framework. The top-down approach, on the other hand, is one of analysis, deep thought, and patience. Service-orientation is infused into the business process layer so that services can be modeled in alignment with business models. The models themselves may need to be built or further refined in order to fully incorporate service-orientation principles...
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"Advanced Messaging, Metadata & Security" by Thomas Erl
(SearchWebServices.com, August 2005)
SOAP messaging is the lifeblood of contemporary service-oriented architecture (SOA), realizing not only the delivery of application data but also the composable nature of SOA. This chapter, excerpted from Service-Oriented Architecture: Concepts, Technology, and Design, focuses on the various WS-* extensions that govern specific areas of the SOAP messaging framework. It also looks at the creation and exchange of metadata and introduces message-level security...
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"Toward an On-Demand Service-Oriented Architecture" by C.H. Crawford et al., IBM Referee contribution by Thomas Erl
(IBM Systems Journal, Vol. 44, No. 1, 2005)
The success of an on demand e-business requires that business process, application, and information technology (IT) infrastructure integration merge into a comprehensive and cohesive architecture, where business process transformation drives serviceoriented development and on demand enterprise computing. This enabling architecture is often described as a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and is a prerequisite accelerator for on demand solutions. The primary focus of SOA has been on dynamic reconfiguration of services from defined business processes, and on developing business services based on Web services and, more recently, grid services...
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"A Look Ahead to the Service-Oriented World - Defining SOA When There's No Single, Official Definition" by Thomas Erl
(WLDJ, April 2005)
BEA recently announced that it is broadening its SOA consulting practice, and that it has even created a tool organizations can use to learn about SOA and assess how prepared they are for a transition to this new architectural model. While BEA and other major vendors, such as IBM and Microsoft, are continuing to deepen their investment in SOA, many of us are still struggling to fully understand what SOA actually is. How well do you know SOA? If you were asked to write a definition right now, what would it look like? One of the key challenges has always been in distinguishing SOA from a standard distributed architecture that use Web services. Another challenge has been pinpointing exactly what the well-publicized service-orientation paradigm is comprised of. To help us with these questions, we asked noted SOA expert Thomas Erl to provide some clarity...
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"SOA: Best Practices for Transition Planning - Taking Control of SOA" by Thomas Erl
(Web Services Journal, November 2004)
Despite the magnitude of a migration to a service-oriented platform, the continuing uncertainty of critical WS-* standards, and the often thundering impact of large-scale SOA deployments, now is the time to start considering the move. The key to a successful transition is to find a spot of calm amidst the storm of activity surrounding SOA, and develop an intuitive plan that will guide your organization through a path of technical obstacles, organizational resistance, and ever-shifting industry trends. Count yourself lucky if you’ve had the foresight to coordinate your migration efforts around this type of plan. Many organizations stumble their way into the world of Web services and what they perceive to be SOA. This “inadvertent migration” is often the result of blindly adopting updates to established development tools and following the vendor's lead with regards to how the next generation of applications should be built this time around. The danger of allowing architecture to evolve in this manner is that you never attain a sufficient level of control over the underlying technology. Little or none of your environments become standardized, and new product platforms further entrench layers of proprietary technology...
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"XML and Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)" by Thomas Erl
(Presentation for XML Conference & Exhibition, November 2004)
The realization of service-oriented architecture through Web services is intrinsically driven by core XML technologies. The emergence of service-oriented design principles, however, is affecting how XML technologies are utilized and positioned within contemporary distributed solutions. This session introduces the fundamental concepts behind SOA and Web services, and then explores how, in the real world, the service-oriented platform is building upon and augmenting traditional XML architecture. It then discusses how, consequently, the roles of key XML technologies are required to change and expand in order to support SOA...
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"A Defining Moment for SOA" by Michael S. Mimoso, expert contribution by Thomas Erl
(SearchWebServices.com, November 2004)
Service-oriented architecture may be the IT buzzword du jour, but for all the attention afforded this tiny three-letter acronym, there's hardly a consensus definition for SOA. Some IT managers will confess to their ignorance of what SOA is or what the business benefits are, while others seem to have a grasp on the basics, but struggle putting it into practice...
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"Best Practices for Building Service-Oriented Architectures" by Thomas Erl
(Application Development Trends, May 2004)
Many organizations underestimate the magnitude of adopting service-oriented architecture. Building solutions that incorporate Web services and service-oriented design principles from the ground up requires a significant departure from the manner in which traditional distributed applications have been planned, designed, implemented, and maintained. SOA can challenge an organization on many levels. Service-oriented concepts, for example, demand a new mindset for modeling business process automation. Not only do they introduce new terms and models, they intrinsically promote interoperability and process integration. Additionally, integrating the many underlying technology layers that constitute a contemporary SOA can prove to be a daunting task. The required research, skill set upgrades, development environments, and the inevitable shift in how applications are designed, all impact IT staff, processes, and, of course, budgets...
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"The Field Guide to SOA - Author Thomas Erl says that careful planning and execution of an SOA migration
offers major rewards."
(Fawcette Technical Publications, March 2004)
FTPOnline interviewed Thomas Erl about his new book and how it can help organizations implementing SOA.
FTPOnline: What motivated you to write Service-Oriented Architecture: A Field Guide to Integrating XML and Web Services?
Thomas Erl: "When I go shopping for books, I look for those that try to go beyond the standard tutorial format. If a book can introduce new concepts or provide unique insights into technology, it makes me feel as though I learned something I would not have learned anywhere else. Being asked to write such a book was very appealing. It gave me an opportunity to share years of experience and research in how to overcome the challenges of adopting and integrating XML, Web services, and SOA principles..."
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