Definitions

Here is a new draft of definitions, incorporating a number of people's 
suggestions and concerns.  I am cross posting this to both the WS-Arch WG 
and the WS-Desc WG because it is clearly relevant to both groups.  Again, 
please comment.


Non-Normative Definitions
=========================

Web Service
"A web service is is a software application or component that can be 
accessed over the Internet using a vendor/platform/language-neutral data 
interchange format to invoke the service and supply the response, using a 
rigorously defined message exchange pattern, and producing a result that is 
sufficiently well-defined to be processed by a software application." [1]

[The above definition was lifted verbatim from a WS Arch WG draft.[1]  Note 
that this definition does not specifically mention "URI" or "XML".  If the 
definition of "Web Service" does not specifically mention URI or XML, then 
I would suggest that we specifically mention "URI" and "XML" elsewhere in 
our requirements, if desired.  -- David Booth]

Client
Software that makes use of a Web Service, acting as its "user" or "customer".

Normative Definitions
=====================

Message
The basic unit of communication between a Web Service and a Client: data to 
be communicated to or from a Web Service as a single logical transmission.

Operation
A set of messages related to a single Web Service action.

Interface (a/k/a "Port Type")
A logical grouping of operations.   An Interface represents an 
abstract  Service type, independent of transmission protocol and data format.

Binding
An association between an Interface, a concrete protocol and a data 
format.  A Binding specifies the protocol and data format to be used in 
transmitting messages defined by the associated Interface.

Port
An association between a Binding and a network address, specified by a URI, 
that may be used to communicate with an instance of a Service.  A Port 
indicates a specific location for accessing a Service using a specific 
protocol and data format.

Service
A collection of Ports.

References
==========

[1] http://www.w3.org/2002/ws/arch/2/wd-wsawg-reqs-03042002


David Booth
W3C Fellow / Hewlett-Packard
Telephone: +1.617.253.1273

Received on Monday, 18 March 2002 18:22:00 UTC