Web service

Web Service

A Web service is a software application identified by a URI [RFC 2396], whose interfaces and bindings are capable of being defined, described, and discovered as XML artifacts. A Web service supports direct interactions with other software agents using XML based messages exchanged via Internet-based protocols. A collection of EndPoints. [Web Services Glossary]

Automated resources accessed via the Internet. Web services are software-powered resources or functional components whose capabilities can be accessed at an internet URI. Standards-based web services use XML to interact with each other, which allows them to link up on demand using loose coupling. [looselycoupled.com definition]

A self-contained, modular application that can be described, published, located, and invoked over the Web. Platform-neutral and based on open standards, Web Services can be combined with each other in different ways to create business processes that enable you to interact with customers, employees, and suppliers. [IBM's definition]

A software system designed to support interoperable machine-tomachine interaction over a network. A Web service has an interface described in a machineprocessable format (specifically WSDL). Other systems interact with the Web service in a manner prescribed by its description using SOAP-messages, typically conveyed using HTTP with an XML serialization in conjunction with other Web-related standards. [OGSA-WG Glossary]

References

• Web Services Glossary, W3C Working Group Note 11 February 2004: http://www.w3.org/TR/ws-gloss/