2.C) Describe the main characteristics of service-oriented computing. – 6 Marks
Answer:-
Main Characteristics of Service-Oriented Computing (SOC):
- Service as an Abstraction:
- A service is an abstraction representing a self-describing and platform-agnostic component that can perform a wide range of functions, from simple tasks to complex business processes.
- These services can be accessed over the network via a protocol.
- Loose Coupling:
- Services are loosely coupled, meaning they can function independently and can be reused across different scenarios.
- Loose coupling makes services more flexible and adaptable.
- Reusability and Platform Independence:
- Services are reusable and independent of any specific platform, making them accessible to a wider range of clients and systems.
- This enhances accessibility and ensures services can be used across different platforms and environments.
- Location Transparency:
- Services are location-transparent, meaning clients do not need to know where the service is physically hosted, ensuring flexibility in their consumption.
- Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA):
- Services are aggregated into a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), which organizes software systems to provide services to users or other entities across the network.
- SOA ensures services are published and discoverable via their interfaces.
- Quality of Service (QoS):
- QoS defines a set of functional and nonfunctional attributes used to evaluate the behavior of a service, such as performance, security, reliability, scalability, and availability.
- These attributes are negotiated through a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that specifies the acceptable values for the QoS attributes.
- Software-as-a-Service (SaaS):
- SaaS is a model where software applications are delivered over the network on a subscription or rental basis.
- The infrastructure is maintained by the service provider, freeing the client from maintenance costs and upgrades, which is made possible through economies of scale and multitenancy.
- Web Services:
- Web services are a key application of SOC, allowing software components to expose their functionality via HTTP using WSDL and SOAP.
- Web services are platform-independent and can be easily integrated with the World Wide Web.
These characteristics of SOC enable the development of rapid, low-cost, flexible, interoperable, and evolvable applications and systems. The use of SOC in cloud computing allows for dynamic and scalable service compositions.