Web Services

1
Web Services

• A set of tools and protocols which enable
  software applications to communicate, pass data
  and issue commands to each other over the
  Internet or Intranet.

2
Web Services XML
1.2 Online Auto Dealership

• An interface that describes a collection of
  operations that are network accessible thru
  standardized XML messaging.
• Self-contained, modular apps that are over the
  internet --described--published--located--invo
  ked

3
Web Services

• Applications
• Talk to each other
• Pass data to each other
• Send commands back and forth
• Can be inside / outside the firm
• Standards
• Vendor specific with EAI or BPI
• None with Java
• Core set with XML
• XML transfer over HTTP or SOAP

4
Web Services

• XML (Extensible Markup Language) customizable
  method for tag creation
• SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) msg protocol
  to encode XML
• UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and
  Integration) distrib directory of web services
  available
• WSDL (Web Services Description Language) XML
  formatted lang for web svc
• ebXML (electronic business Extensible Markup
  Language) modular suite of specs for
  standardizing XML globally for facilitating trade

5
Web Services -- Limitations

• The HTTP reliance sessionless or eventless
  when one computer interacts with another
  across internet no ongoing connection between
  the two no memory of the transaction
• -- interaction done thru requests/responses but
  can not maintain info between requests
• Not good for complex transactions banking,
• Use SOAP as a work around

6
Web Services -- Limitations

• Security authorization and encryption not
  basic
• -- non-repudiation messy (when company gets
  confirmation of PO can not be undone
• Work Arounds
• -- customized systems interacting with untouched
  web services at other firms messy
• -- no standard way to do interface
• Work Services Networks
• -- an integration hub available thru subscription

7
Information Management

• Information Management faces 4 challenges
• Information overload help needed on filtering
  / selecting
• Digital Rot longevity of digital knowledge
  undermined by assumptions
• Everything is kept / nothing crashes
• Digital format captures everything
• Library can sort it out later

8
Information Management

• Multiplicity of formats/media4 nodes 12
  connectors then add more !!!!

9
Information Management

• Transaction and Version Management
• Now want digital trace of contents history
• How has file evolved from draft to finished copy?
• Who has been sent file, who has approved, who has
  seen?
• Has file been received? How accepted?

10
Information Management

• Transaction and Version Management
• The KEY is in the CAPABILITIES to associate
  relevant control info with any text indicating
• The WHAT (added, deleted, changed)
• The WHO
• The WHEN
• And maintaining that text within or linking to
  the text
• XML content is self-describing
• XML had no rigid distinctions between
• Content
• Control

11
Response to Information Management

• XML provides standardized means for capturing,
  storing, describing
• Information content and structure
• Rules and information about how that control s/be
  understood, managed, stored, and referenced
• How the content is transmitted, transformed
  and/or presented
• How content is related to each other

12
Web Services Top Ten

• Think plumbing between computer pgms to pass
• Data/Content
• Command
• Web Services next logical step in integrating
  the Internet into the Enterprise
• Standards not really up to par yet many things
  need agreement before it can take off
• XML is the heart of web services
• Probably org is already using web services but
  not aware
• If implemented well, greatly decreases complexity
  of system integration for org
• Web Services will be THE protocol for data
  exchange over the Internet
• Sun Microsystems J2EE and MSs .NET 2 main
  platforms of choice for development
• Most Web Services is intraorganizational today
• Next growth phase B2B communications --

13
Question

• EDI is electronic data interchange
• Uses traditional record format to record
  transactions between firms
• Has standards the X.25 for example
• Has been around since 1970s
• Used to transmit transactions between
  suppliers/customers
• Expensive to implement and maintain
• Will Web Services take over from EDI?