Re: [soa-rm-ra] Message and Action Distinction

[Francis McCabe <frankmccabe@mac.com>]

Here is an example of what I think of as the relationship between  
messages and actions:

In an auction (a real one where people are sitting on chairs  
listening to the auctioneer and making bids by scratching their  
noses) people do not physically come over to the auctioneer and write  
on his note pad when they want to make a bid: they communicate.

 From the point of view of a mind running in someone's brain, there  
is not that much distinction between moving the muscles of the larynx  
or moving the muscles of the leg: they are both physical actions. The  
choice between them depends on a judgement of effectiveness -- in the  
right context (the execution context?) by moving the larynx in the  
appropriate way, the actions involved can achieve the goal of making  
a bid.

So it is with acting on a service, in the context of the Internet,  
the appropriate activity needed to achieve the action on the service  
is the sending of the message. In that sense, the message (or, more  
accurately, the activity of sending and receiving the message) counts  
as performing the requisite action on the service.

Of course, with a service interaction, just as with a bid in the Art  
auction, the right message must be exchanged. Almost certainly, one  
which has separable parts like the operation code, any document  
arguments and so on.


On Jan 22, 2007, at 10:02 PM, Danny Thornton wrote:

> During the last conference call, we discussed the
> relationship of the action to message.  This was for
> the interacting with services section.  One of the
> discussions focused on whether the message contains
> the action or whether the message is like a parameter
> to the action.
>
> One interpretation for message can be that the message
> is data sent to the service, data the service will
> unmarshall and act upon.  The action itself may or may
> not require a message/data.
>
> Another interpretation for message is that the message
> itself specifies the action.  An action is always
> conveyed with a message.
>
> The first interpretation is a conceptual distinction
> between action and message.  The second interpretation
> is more literal in nature, to interact with a service
> requires an electronic transfer.  Any form of
> electronic transfer is a message.
>
> Hmmm... Other Thoughts?
>
> Danny
>
>
>
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