Types of Services (RE: [soa-rm] Definition of "Service Consumer")

["Chiusano Joseph" <chiusano_joseph@bah.com>]

I wonder if the roles a service can play - or, perhaps one can say, the
general types of services that can exist - have any bearing on our RM at
all, in an indirect way.

Put in simple terms, one may say that there are - in general - 3
overarching "types" of services. These correspond to 3 of the layers of
the general "integration stack" (data, application, and process):

(1) Data-Oriented Service: Primary role is to accept and process data,
or provide data based upon a request. 

Two general types:

(a) Data Processor*: Accepts as input a set of data, processes that
data, and (optionally) sends a response. The response may simply be an
acknowledgement, or another set of data to be processed by the service
requester**. 

Ex: Simple form acceptance service, such as a loan application form
service acting on behalf of multiple banks (routes to proper bank and
sends back acknowledgement to form submitter)

(b) Data Provider: Provides streaming data, or a set of data upon
request.

Ex's: RSS news feed (streaming data), stock quote (set of data upon
request - given stock ticker symbol)  

*need better term - using this for illustration purposes only
**using term "requester" for now since we have not established our
perferred term

(2) Application-Oriented Service (aka "Function-Oriented Service"):
Primary role is to accept a command and carry out processing based on
that command, in a singular fashion (i.e. does not invoke other
services).

Ex's: Inventory verification service (accepts item #, responds with
whether or not it is in inventory), shipment cost calculation service

(3) Process-Oriented Service: Similar to Application-Oriented Service,
but invokes other services in carrying out its processing (i.e. it
embodies the definition of an overarching process).  

Ex: Order processing service (checks customer credit, checks inventory,
does shipment cost calculation, etc.)

Thoughts?

Joe

Joseph Chiusano
Booz Allen Hamilton
Visit us online@ http://www.boozallen.com
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Christopher Bashioum [mailto:cbashioum@mitre.org] 
> Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 12:49 PM
> To: soa-rm@lists.oasis-open.org
> Subject: RE: [soa-rm] Definition of "Service Consumer"
> 
>  When we talk about service consumer vs. provider in this 
> sense, I think we need to separate the "static" entity from 
> the dynamic role that said entity plays.  A given entity can 
> be both service provider (in which case it publishes it's 
> service description) and service consumer (in which case it 
> binds to another service provider in order to accomplish its 
> own service).
> 
> So...to re-word your statement a little: An entity that binds 
> with a service is playing the role of service consumer. 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vikas Deolaliker [mailto:vikas@sonoasystems.com]
> Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 12:21 PM
> To: 'Frank McCabe'; soa-rm@lists.oasis-open.org
> Subject: RE: [soa-rm] Definition of "Service Consumer"
> 
> 
> Using the publish/find/bind framework of SOA... 
> 
> The entity that publishes is certainly not the consumer. The 
> entity that
> finds may or may not be the consumer but the entity that 
> binds is certainly
> the consumer. 
> 
> So an entity that "binds" with a service would be the closest 
> to a service
> consumer. 
> 
> Vikas
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Frank McCabe [mailto:frank.mccabe@us.fujitsu.com] 
> Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 9:00 AM
> To: soa-rm@lists.oasis-open.org
> Subject: Re: [soa-rm] Definition of "Service Consumer"
> 
> There is a distinction between the software *entity* 
> (agent/component/J2EE bean/.../) that interacts with a 
> service in order 
> to achieve some goal, and the person or persons for whom that 
> interaction is taking place.
> 
> The reason that this distinction is important is similar to the 
> distinction between a service interface and the service itself: 
> accessing your bank account from an ATM or on-line will use different 
> interfaces but ultimately all use the same service.
> 
> Here is an example of why its important: the appropriate 
> business logic 
> to apply to a service request will depend on many factors: 
> the means by 
> which the request was delivered, the request itself and the 
> person (or 
> persons) for whom the request was made. This last aspect is 
> completely 
> independent of mode of requesting and is purely business/application 
> specific.
> 
> Incidentally, the above definition: "an agent that interacts with a 
> service in order to achieve a goal" seems to be a reasonable 
> definition 
> of a service requester.
> 
> 
> On Apr 7, 2005, at 7:23 AM, Gregory A. Kohring wrote:
> 
> > Matthew,
> >
> > OK, here a fewer other choices which might be deemed more
> > "respectful"...
> >
> > Service Consumer:
> >
> > 1) End-user of a service.
> >
> > 2) An agent which, acting on behalf of its owner, uses a service.
> >
> > 3) An entity which utilizes a service
> >
> > 4) An entity which consumes the product or information produced by a
> >    service.
> >
> >
> > Note all of these definitions depend upon the definition of the
> > term "service".  Have we agreed on this already? Perhaps we should
> > start there first...
> >
> >
> > -- Greg
> >
> >
> >
> > Matthew MacKenzie wrote:
> >> I think services deserve respect, lets try not to exploit them :-)
> >> Gregory A. Kohring wrote:
> >>> Thomas,
> >>>
> >>> Perhaps one should use a somewhat broader definition 
> which captures
> >>> the human user as well:
> >>>
> >>> Service Consumer: An entity which exploits a service.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> -- Greg
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Thomas Erl wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Now that we've decided on the term "service consumer" it may be 
> >>>> useful to formally define it. The term "consumer" is used by the 
> >>>> WS-I Basic Profile wherein it is simply defined as 
> "Software that 
> >>>> invokes an instance."
> >>>>
> >>>> Thomas
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> >
> > -- 
> > 
> ======================================================================
> > G.A. Kohring
> > C&C Research Laboratories, NEC Europe Ltd.
> > 
> ======================================================================
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>