What does WS URI address?

Most existing Web services set up namespaces in competition with that of
the Web (URIs). They do this because they use a single URI for the
"service" and then use proprietary identifiers within. For instance UDDI
uses UUIDs, .NET My Services uses Passport User IDs and XPaths and so
forth. Others use RPC to set up a parameterized n-tuple as an addressing
mechanism. The problems with this are well-documented, but the tools do
not really support a URI-centric mode of operation and (I fear) will not
unless the specification makes clear that they are mistaken. 

I believe that the SOAP specification (or at least primer) should
address this issue directly. Here is what I propose (based in parton
some terminological suggestions by Noah Mendelsohn):

"""One of the principles of Web Architecture is that all important
resources should be identified by URIs. This implies that most
well-architected SOAP services will be embodied as large 
numbers or resources, each with its own URI.  Indeed, many
such resources are likely to be created dynamically during
operation of the service, as new information becomes available.
For example, a service allowing airline tickets to be ordered would
have different URIs for each order. As new orders come in, they would
be given URIs and SOAP requests would be directed at those URIs, not at
a single monolithic "service" URI."""

Received on Sunday, 23 June 2002 21:59:45 UTC