Re: [soa-rm-ra] Disambiguating Action (Part I)

On May 26, 2008, at 1:38 PM, michael.poulin@uk.fid-intl.com wrote:

I am risking to become annoing but my questions still stay:

I have four bright, challenging, and inquisitive children. You have to go a long way before a train of evolving questions becomes annoying :-)

- In SOA eco-systems, how a consumer might even know about a Capability/resource other than through the services?

Excellent question. Per my previous response, *all* resources need description and an attribute that may make it attractive to use a particular resource is that it can be accessed through a SOA service. So, what we need are resource/capability catalogs, not just service catalogs. But let's not get started on this.

- Would you agree that neither Capability nor RWE are not necessary visible through the service interface?

The service interface is one aspect needed for effective interaction. As I said in my original email on 21 May

As shown in Figure 20, the service description provides information on:

- what a service does (its functionality and the resulting real world effects),

- how to reach the service (protocols and the endpoint of service reachability),

- how to communicate with the service (the information and behavior models that make up the service interface),

- what are the conditions of use (service policies and contracts), and

- what measurements of performance are available and how can these be accessed (service metrics).

Moreover, that one interface operation may correspond to muntiple Functions and multiple RWE?

Yes. The interface is an aspect of the interaction and as stated in the RM:

There is not necessarily a one-to-one correlation between needs and capabilities; the granularity

of needs and capabilities vary from fundamental to complex, and any given need may require the

combining of numerous capabilities while any single capability may address more than one need.

This was in the discussion of SOA before service was introduced, but it follows that you can get multiple RWE from interaction with a single "operation"/"action"/TBD. For example, my accepting the terms of your proposed sale of something to me makes the thing mine and some of my money yours (pending appropriate completion).

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Ken Laskey

MITRE Corporation, M/S H305 phone: 703-983-7934

7515 Colshire Drive fax: 703-983-1379

McLean VA 22102-7508

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