Web Service (WS) for the non-Techies: Principles and Applications

Web services (WS) is emerging as the technology for integrating loosely couples applications employing three main protocols: WSDL (describing the WS), UDDI (publishing the WS), and SOAP (accessing the WS) using XML. WS could also be composed together to meet certain business requirements. Strategies for implementing WS include open source, such as XML and Java and product-based, such as Microsoft .NET. Each of these two strategies has advantages and disadvantages. Example of success stories of WS implementations will be given and analyzed. Potential applications of WS for intranet and internet platforms will be highlighted. The following is an outline of the tutorial: - Why we need WS - Loosely coupled applications - Definitions and basic concepts of web services: WSDL, UDDI, and SOAP - Assembly/Composite web services -WS implementation strategies, the Lego dilemma: - Standards-based: Open standards Java, XML - Product-based .NET - WS cases. - WS applications - Internet applications: virtual organizations, supply chain integration, and e-government, - Intranet applications: integration of enterprise different back-end databases to meet business needs. - Organization\u27s readiness for W

Developing B2B Virtual Enterprises

Nowadays, Web services are emerging as a major technology for achieving automated interactions between distributed and heterogeneous applications (Benatallah, Sheng, & Dumas, 2003). Various technologies are behind this achievement including WSDL, UDDI, and SOAP1. (Curbera, Duftler, Khalaf et. al. 2002) These technologies aim at supporting the definition of services2, their advertisement, and their binding for triggering purposes. The advantages of Web services have already been demonstrated and highlight their capacity to be composed into high-level business process (Benatallah et al., 2003). Usually, composite services (CS) denote business processes and are meant to be offered to users who have needs to satisfy

Encyclopedia of Portal Technologies and Applications - Enterprise Portals and Web Services Integration

Portals went through the following different life cycle stages: desktop organization and personalization; single intranet-based portals such as human resource and Internet product-based or industry-based portals; functional-based portals such as knowledge management and business intelligence; and integrated intranet-based enterprise portal (EP) covering some or all functions of the enterprise (see for example http://www.ebizq.net/topics/eai/features/1650. html on how integrating portals and business process management (BPM) enabled the presentation of an integrated view of diverse back-end databases). Current research and practice efforts are directed toward making portals an open system supporting different platforms and allowing its integration into emerging technologies such as Web services (WS). A WS, on the other hand, is defined as an integrating loosely coupled application that uses three major standards: WSDL (definition of WS), UDDI (registry and discovery of WS), and SOAP (access of a WS). However, strongly coupled applications may also benefit from WS technologies to componentized diverse application platforms (i.e., databases, file-based legacy systems) using WS technologies. The article emphasizes cross-organization integration of business function and processes, rather than simply accessing general purpose WS such as weather forecasts and currency conversion. This article highlights challenges stemming from technologies and management issues and opportunities for enhanced application integration and accessibility. Technology-based integration could follow either standard-based open architecture or product-based approach. Current technologies include the product-based MS .NET and the standard-based J2EE and XML. Major players in EP and WS technologies include IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and BEA, with dedicated efforts and strong commitments to the integration of EP and WS. Major issues related to the management of both technologies include transaction management, message control and choreography, workflow management, and security. The following sections detail the discussions on these challenges and describe opportunities though a master-slave relationship between the two technologies. chaLLEngE

Transaction Management in Distributed Database Systems: The Case of Oracle’s Two-Phase Commit

Distributed database systems (DDBS) pose different problems when accessing distributed and replicated databases. Particularly, access control and transaction management in DDBS require different mechanism to monitor data retrieval and update to databases. Current trends in multi-tier client/server networks make DDBS an appropriated solution to provide access to and control over localized databases. Oracle, as a leading Database Management System (DBMS) vendor employs the two-phase commit technique to maintain consistent state for the database. The objective of this paper is to explain transaction management in DDBS and how Oracle implements this technique. An example is given to demonstrate the step involved in executing the two-phase commit. By using this feature of Oracle, organizations will benefit from the use of DDBS to successfully manage the enterprise data resource

EUROMICRO - Context-based personalization of Web services composition and provisioning

This work presents an approach that aims at personalizing Web services composition and provisioning using context. Composition addresses the situation of a user\u27s request that cannot be satisfied by any available service, and thus requires the combination of several Web services. Provisioning focuses on the deployment of Web services according to users\u27 preferences. A Web service is an accessible application that other applications and humans can discover and trigger. Context is the information that characterizes the interactions between humans, applications, and the surrounding environment. Web services are subject to personalization if there is a need of accommodating users\u27 preferences during service performance and outcome delivery. To be able to track personalization in terms of what happened, what is happening, and what might happen three types of context are devised, and they are referred to as user-, Web service-, and resource-context

Integrating Information Technologies Into Business Functions: A Taxonomy of Integration Strategies

The objective of this paper is to establish a taxonomy of integration strategies that will assist information technology managers in integrating information technologies into business functions and strategies. Such integration is becoming even more of a reality now because of several factors: increased capabilities of inter-networking, availability of development tools that permit multi-platform interfaces, and the evolution of distributed databases. The paper provides a scheme for defining integration that identifies three dimensions: scope, object, and organization. Objectives of integration are classified into gaining competitive advantage, achieving more effective and efficient operations, and improving customer relations. The taxonomy of integration strategies is presented based on the following layers of platforms: information technologies, network, data base, application development, and organization strategies. An integration project may include one or more dimension, achieve one or more objectives, and span over one or more platforms. Without proper planning and implementation, integration projects may fail causing the loss of technology and financial resources