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Subject: Re: [soa-rm] Definition(s) of "service"


Joe,

We found resource to be too much of an overloaded term and proposed  
capability as appropriately descriptive without as much overload.   
Again, however, I am more interested in understanding the concept than  
getting the best term at the start.

Ken

On Aug 8, 2005, at 6:02 PM, Chiusano Joseph wrote:

>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Ken Laskey [mailto:klaskey@mitre.org]
>> Sent: Monday, August 08, 2005 5:50 PM
>> To: soa-rm@lists.oasis-open.org
>> Subject: RE: [soa-rm] Definition(s) of "service"
>>
>> As appeared earlier in this thread, there are contexts in
>> which it is not necessary to discriminate between the
>> capability and the service that accesses it,
>
> Ken, are you equating capability with resource? I recall a reference to
> resource that fits the above description, but not one to capability.
>
> Joe
>
> Joseph Chiusano
> Booz Allen Hamilton
> O: 703-902-6923
> C: 202-251-0731
> Visit us online@ http://www.boozallen.com
>
>> and our
>> discussion of service can make this clear.  However, I think
>> this thread has also shown ample examples of where the
>> service and the capability are clearly separate concepts and
>> where it may be useful to allow that difference to be
>> captured.  For example, it is likely for someone to ask if
>> two services are the same.  While we do not address that
>> particular question, it is far simpler to handle if we know
>> whether the underlying capability is the same than if we
>> obscure that difference at first principles.
>>
>> Ken
>>
>> At 05:03 PM 8/8/2005, Chiusano Joseph wrote:
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Frank McCabe [mailto:frank.mccabe@us.fujitsu.com]
>>>> Sent: Monday, August 08, 2005 12:10 PM
>>>> To: Ken Laskey
>>>> Cc: soa-rm@lists.oasis-open.org
>>>> Subject: Re: [soa-rm] Definition(s) of "service"
>>>>
>>>> This is going in a weird direction.
>>>> I believed that there was significant consensus that the
>> notion of
>>>> service that we are interested in *is* the
>>>> interface/boundary/offering.
>>>>
>>>> The capability behind the service -- that which makes the service
>>>> possible -- is private and out of bounds. That capability
>> is, by the
>>>> way, best described using agent terminology.
>>>
>>> Respectful non-concur. IMHO, the service *is* the
>> capability, and the
>>> service *has* an interface through which interaction with that
>>> capability may be possible.
>>>
>>> Joe
>>>
>>> Joseph Chiusano
>>> Booz Allen Hamilton
>>> O: 703-902-6923
>>> C: 202-251-0731
>>> Visit us online@ http://www.boozallen.com
>>>
>>>> Frank
>>>>
>>>> On Aug 8, 2005, at 8:50 AM, Ken Laskey wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> This is good because it highlights the bits of
>> confusion we have
>>>>> to explain our way around.
>>>>>
>>>>> The user interface is the facade through which the user
>>>> interacts with
>>>>> a service (i.e. inputting information/requests, viewing
>>>>> results) but there may be delivery capabilities that
>> are invoked
>>>>> through relevant services and the delivery capabilities are the
>>>>> mechanisms through which results are packaged and sent to the
>>>>> requester/consumer.  For example, if I make a request for
>>>> an image and
>>>>> as part of that request, information about my connectivity is
>>>>> provided, logic (capability) can be executed (possibly
>>>> invoked through
>>>>> a service) to decide which delivery mechanism is most
>> appropriate
>>>>> (e.g. high res or low res, what kind of compression, ...).
>>>>>
>>>>> Ken
>>>>>
>>>>> At 11:18 AM 8/8/2005, Michael Stiefel wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Actually, I think two things are being confused here.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> There is one service being used by several different
>>>> applications.
>>>>>> The user interface (i.e. the actually delivery mechanism)
>>>> is not part
>>>>>> of the service, or strictly speaking part of the SOA.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Michael
>>>>>>
>>>>>> At 10:43 AM 8/8/2005, Ken Laskey wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'd have to think about this further but in general I
>>>> would say yes.
>>>>>>> The underlying capability is making pizza and offering
>>>> the product
>>>>>>> for sale.  The mechanisms for accessing the capability are in
>>>>>>> person, by phone, online.  Note, the capability existed
>>>> before there
>>>>>>> was online ordering and this is just another
>> mechanism to access
>>>>>>> a capability that already existed.
>>>>>>> Interestingly from an orchestration/choreography sense,
>>>> the delivery
>>>>>>> of the pizza (in person pickup, delivery service from
>>>> pizza place,
>>>>>>> third-party delivery (e.g. Takeout Taxi around
>>>>>>> here)) constitutes another set of capabilities that can
>>>> have service
>>>>>>> interfaces and can be combined in response to invoking
>>>> the ordering
>>>>>>> service.  All of these can be used for delivery of things
>>>> other than
>>>>>>> pizza (even the pizza place might also deliver sandwiches).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I think part of the confusion is that a *physical*
>>>> delivery service
>>>>>>> is a millennia-old, longstanding capability that has
>>>> nothing to do
>>>>>>> with SOA and is *not* the service in the SOA sense
>> but it uses a
>>>>>>> different aspect of the S word.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ken
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> At 07:11 PM 8/7/2005, joe@pantella.net wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Does this imply that if I order a pizza online vs. order a
>>>>>>>> pizza over the phone vs. order a pizza by walking into the
>>>>>>>> store, that these are all separate services?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --JJP
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>> From: Ken Laskey [mailto:klaskey@mitre.org]
>>>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2005 12:35 PM
>>>>>>>> To: soa-rm@lists.oasis-open.org
>>>>>>>> Subject: RE: [soa-rm] Definition(s) of "service"
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> This gets back to the previous discussion when we
>> talked about
>>>>>>>> resources, i.e to what extent the service is the
>> mechanism to
>>>>>>>> access (possibly coordinate) capability vs. when is it
>>>> considered
>>>>>>>> the capability itself.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I think any consideration of the service as the
>>>> capability/resource
>>>>>>>> should be very limited.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Ken
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> At 11:07 AM 8/4/2005, Chiusano Joseph wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>>> From: Ken Laskey [mailto:klaskey@mitre.org]
>>>>>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2005 11:04 AM
>>>>>>>>>> To: Chiusano Joseph; soa-rm@lists.oasis-open.org
>>>>>>>>>> Subject: RE: [soa-rm] Definition(s) of "service"
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Somehow saying service *provides* capabilities
>>>> misses the SOA
>>>>>>>>>> motivation to provide an effective way to bring together
>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> parts I
>>>>>>>>>> need to solve a problem.  Integration is often
>> of disparate
>>>>>>>> parts
>>>>>>>>>> that exist for their own purposes.  Service can help
>>>>>>>> coordinate but
>>>>>>>>>> the challenge is to make use of the tools/resources/
>>>>>>>> capabilities
>>>>>>>>>> that already exist, not to create new stovepipes.
>>>> Saying the
>>>>>>>>>> service provides all this is a tempting
>> simplification but
>>>>>>>>>> I
>>>>>>>> fear it
>>>>>>>>>> will trivialize the concepts most in need of
>> clarification.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Agree - and I should clarify that I was merely saying that a
>>>>>>>> service
>>>>>>>>> provides capabilities (in general). Combining a
>>>> capability here, a
>>>>>>>>> capability there, here a capability, there a capability,
>>>>>>>> everywhere a
>>>>>>>>> capability (oops sorry - that's the EIEIO song), we
>>>> have composite
>>>>>>>>> capabilities.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Joe
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Joseph Chiusano
>>>>>>>>> Booz Allen Hamilton
>>>>>>>>> O: 703-902-6923
>>>>>>>>> C: 202-251-0731
>>>>>>>>> Visit us online@ http://www.boozallen.com
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Ken
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> At 10:35 AM 8/4/2005, Chiusano Joseph wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>>>>> From: Ken Laskey [mailto:klaskey@mitre.org]
>>>>>>>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2005 10:18 AM
>>>>>>>>>>>> To: soa-rm@lists.oasis-open.org
>>>>>>>>>>>> Subject: RE: [soa-rm] Definition(s) of "service"
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> I'd still like to emphasize service as the access to
>>>>>>>>>>>> capabilities for which there are extra-service
>>>>>>>> motivations for
>>>>>>>>>>>> their existence and requirements for use of the
>>>>>>>> capabilities
>>>>>>>>>>>> that must be
>>>>>>>>>> navigated
>>>>>>>>>>>> by the service.  Thus,
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> "A service is a mechanism to enable access
>> to a set of
>>>>>>>>>> capabilities,
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I would say that access control mechanisms enable such
>>>>>>>>>> access, and that
>>>>>>>>>>> the service *provides* the capabilities. Note: Use of
>>>>>>>>>> "access control"
>>>>>>>>>>> is too concrete for our RM - I stated it only to
>>>>>>>>>>> illustrate
>>>>>>>>>> the point.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Joe
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Joseph Chiusano
>>>>>>>>>>> Booz Allen Hamilton
>>>>>>>>>>> O: 703-902-6923
>>>>>>>>>>> C: 202-251-0731
>>>>>>>>>>> Visit us online@ http://www.boozallen.com
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> where the access is provided using a prescribed
>>>>>>>> interface and is
>>>>>>>>>>>> exercised consistent with constraints and policies as
>>>>>>>>>> specified by
>>>>>>>>>>>> the service description."
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Ken
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> At 11:15 PM 8/3/2005, joe@pantella.net wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Just trying to sort through this; some common themes
>>>>>>>>>> that seem to
>>>>>>>>>>>>> be
>>>>>>>>>>>>> acceptable:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> A service provides capabilities.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> A service is accessible. (If this is true, then
>>>>>>>>>>>>> service
>>>>>>>>>> cannot be a
>>>>>>>>>>>>> verb.) A service has an interface. (If this is true,
>>>>>>>> then a
>>>>>>>>>>>> service has
>>>>>>>>>>>>> a boundary.) A service interface is
>> prescribed. (Then
>>>>>>>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>>>>>>> service and its
>>>>>>>>>>>>> interface are distinct, and the interface has
>>>>>>>> associated rules.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm not sure this is true, the interface may
>>>> describe the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> rules,
>>>>>>>>>>>> but Im not
>>>>>>>>>>>>> sure it has rules.  In fact, I'm inclined to
>>>> suggest that
>>>>>>>>>>>> the interface
>>>>>>>>>>>>> defines the rules for accessing the service.  Which
>>>>>>>>>> would lead me
>>>>>>>>>>>>> to suggest that the service interface is more than a
>>>>>>>>>>>> specification of the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> data model, but also of the policies
>> associated with
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>> service.)
>>>>>>>>>>>>> A service is a set of behaviors.  (Not sure I'm on
>>>>>>>>>>>>> board
>>>>>>>>>> with this,
>>>>>>>>>>>>> something about behaviors doesn't sit well.)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Given this, perhaps something like:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> "A service is a bounded set of capabilities that are
>>>>>>>>>>>> accessible through
>>>>>>>>>>>>> a prescribed interface."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> -- JJP
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> P.S. I think this definition might just be
>>>> flexible enough
>>>>>>>>>>>> to navigate
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the service offer/contract discussion also.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>>>>>> From: Schuldt, Ron L [mailto:ron.l.schuldt@lmco.com]
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2005 12:32 PM
>>>>>>>>>>>>> To: Frank McCabe; SOA-RM
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Subject: RE: [soa-rm] Definition(s) of "service"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Frank,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> While I believe that the previously proposed
>>>> definition is
>>>>>>>>>>>> sufficient,
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I offer the following as a compromise.
>> Hopefully, the
>>>>>>>> notion of
>>>>>>>>>>>>> "capabilities" addresses your issue of
>> needing to get
>>>>>>>>>> things done.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> "A service is a set of behaviors to provide
>>>>>>>>>>>>> capabilities
>>>>>>>>>>>> accessible via
>>>>>>>>>>>>> a prescribed interface."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ron
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>>>>>> From: Frank McCabe
>>>>>>>>>>>>> [mailto:frank.mccabe@us.fujitsu.com]
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2005 10:10 AM
>>>>>>>>>>>>> To: SOA-RM
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [soa-rm] Definition(s) of "service"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I hesitate to spoil this party ... but I'm
>> going to :)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 1. There is a distinction between action and result.
>>>>>>>>>> (Just ask any
>>>>>>>>>>>>> roboticist) Behaviour sounds a child
>>>> misbehaving with no
>>>>>>>>>>>>> discernible effect. Computer Scientists have a
>>>>>>>>>>>>> tendency
>>>>>>>>>> to focus on
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the purely technical aspects of their work: bytes
>>>>>>>>>> shuffling around
>>>>>>>>>>>>> at random within hopefully enormous memories.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2. Also, we have to bear in mind that nobody invests
>>>>>>>>>>>> millions of $s (or
>>>>>>>>>>>>> even 100's of them) in systems that
>> contemplate their
>>>>>>>> navels
>>>>>>>>>>>> or have no
>>>>>>>>>>>>> business payoff. I think that we have to directly
>>>>>>>> address the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> reason that services are deployed. 3. One of the
>>>>>>>> movitating
>>>>>>>>>>>>> best practice aspects of SOAs is
>>>>>>>>>>>> that clarity
>>>>>>>>>>>>> and 'separation' between the providers of
>>>> services and the
>>>>>>>>>>>> consumers of
>>>>>>>>>>>>> services leads to more scalable and robust
>>>> architectures.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> All of the above is fuzzy language; but, at the
>>>> same time,
>>>>>>>>>>>> "A service
>>>>>>>>>>>>> is a set of behaviors accessible via a prescribed
>>>>>>>> interface."
>>>>>>>>>>>>> sounds a lot like bureauspeak.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I believe that there is strong consensus on the
>>>> following
>>>>>>>>>>>>> characteristics:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> a. The concept of service is 'at the
>> boundary' between
>>>>>>>> service
>>>>>>>>>>>>> providers and consumers. b. The service is
>>>> 'there' to get
>>>>>>>>>>>>> things done; but doesn't
>>>>>>>>>>>> itself denote
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the engine that performs the tasks.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> c. There is a reason for using a service.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> d. There is a lot of extra metalogical information
>>>>>>>>>>>>> about
>>>>>>>>>>>> services that
>>>>>>>>>>>>> make it possible for third parties to
>> develop partners
>>>>>>>>>> for services.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I, for one, would prefer a strongly anglo-saxon
>>>>>>>> phrasing of the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> definition of service that speaks to these points.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Frank
>>>>>>>>>>>>> ti
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>> -------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>>    /   Ken
>>>>>>>>>>>> Laskey
>>>>>>>>>>>>         \
>>>>>>>>>>>>   |    MITRE Corporation, M/S H305    phone:
>>>>>>>> 703-983-7934   |
>>>>>>>>>>>>   |    7515 Colshire Drive                    fax:
>>>>>>>>>>>> 703-983-1379   |
>>>>>>>>>>>>    \   McLean VA 22102-7508
>>>>>>>>>>>>            /
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>> --------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> --------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>> -------------------
>>>>>>>>>>    /   Ken
>>>>>>>>>> Laskey
>>>>>>>>>>         \
>>>>>>>>>>   |    MITRE Corporation, M/S H305    phone:
>>>> 703-983-7934   |
>>>>>>>>>>   |    7515 Colshire Drive                    fax:
>>>>>>>>>> 703-983-1379   |
>>>>>>>>>>    \   McLean VA 22102-7508
>>>>>>>>>>            /
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> --------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>> --------------------
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>
>>>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>> --------------
>>>>>>>>    /   Ken
>>>>>>>> Laskey
>>>>
>>>>>>>>    \
>>>>>>>>   |    MITRE Corporation, M/S H305    phone:
>> 703-983-7934   |
>>>>>>>>   |    7515 Colshire Drive                    fax:
>>>>>>>> 703-983-1379   |
>>>>>>>>    \   McLean VA
>>>>>>>> 22102-7508                                              /
>>>>>>>>
>>>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>> ---------------
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> -
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>
>>>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>> -------------
>>>>>>>   /   Ken
>>>>>>> Laskey
>>>>
>>>>>>>   \
>>>>>>>  |    MITRE Corporation, M/S H305    phone:  703-983-7934   |
>>>>>>>  |    7515 Colshire Drive                    fax:
>>>>>>> 703-983-1379   |
>>>>>>>   \   McLean VA
>>>>>>> 22102-7508                                              /
>>>>>>>
>>>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>> --------------
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> --
>>>>> -----------
>>>>>   /   Ken
>>>>> Laskey
>>>>
>>>>> \
>>>>>  |    MITRE Corporation, M/S H305    phone:  703-983-7934   |
>>>>>  |    7515 Colshire Drive                    fax:
>>>>> 703-983-1379   |
>>>>>   \   McLean VA
>>>>> 22102-7508                                              /
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> --
>>>>> ------------
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------
>> -------------------
>>    /   Ken
>> Laskey
>>         \
>>   |    MITRE Corporation, M/S H305    phone:  703-983-7934   |
>>   |    7515 Colshire Drive                    fax:
>> 703-983-1379   |
>>    \   McLean VA 22102-7508
>>            /
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------
>> --------------------
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
------------------
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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