Web Services Glossary Merged with UeB Glossary Selections

1 Introduction: Terminology Process

Terminology, and naming things in general, is always difficult. The Web Services Architecture Working Group's goal is to develop the architecture of Web services. After the Working Group gets a better understanding of the framework and context for a term, the naming discussion ought to be more straight forward.

Therefore, rather than get into terminology debates now, the following process is being followed:

1. As shared insight is gained into the nature of the architecture, it will be necessary to add specific detail to concepts, much as "choreography" and "routing" is being discussed now:

   • Focus these discussions on adding understanding.

   • Agree to the descriptive paragraphs, that is good enough for creating Working Drafts. Editors will capture the agreed paragraph and include it in Working Drafts. (Later, the text may be moved later to the glossary.)

   Terminology can be debated just before we approve any text. To challenge terminology, cite a Working Draft usage of a term and propose alternatives, in email. If dictated by the need for timely progress, text may be approved and an issue posted against it using the email for reference.

   The chairs will not consider usage of a term in unapproved materials as significant in establishing consensus on preferred terminology--in other words, prior Working Group use will not be considered as setting precedence.

2. Everyone should keep a personal glossary, either on paper or on your favorite computer. In your personal glossary, keep track of interesting definitions; they will help the editors when time comes to add the term to the team glossary.

3. In general, try not to use contested terms. At worse, make the term stand our with quotes "artifact" or d-artifact if it refers to a definitive paragraph.

   Specifically, try not to use the term "artifact", at least not too much. While artifact is used in some circles for our purpose, it obviously is not universally understood as intended. Meanwhile, if terms are used that seem wrong or ill defined, add them to your glossary for discussion later.

4. If anyone or sub-group would like to work on a naming strategy, great. This would allow the Working Group to agree on principles of naming before having lots of point debates.

2 Architectural Terms

architectural view		A view of the system architecture from a given perspective. It focuses primarily on structure, modularity, essential components, and the main control flows.	RUP
architecture		The organizational structure of a system. Architecture can be recursively decomposed into parts that interact through interfaces, relationships that connect parts, and constraints for assembling parts. Parts that interact through interfaces include classes, components and subsystems.	RUP
artifact		A piece of information that (1) is produced, modified, or used by a process, (2) defines an area of responsibility, and (3) is subject to version control. An artifact can be a model, a model element, or a document. A document can enclose other documents.	RUP

Architecture

1. The software architecture of a program or computing system is the structure or structures of the system, which comprise software components, the externally visible properties of those components, and the relationships among them. [Soft Arch Pract]

2. A software architecture is an abstraction of the run-time elements of a software system during some phase of its operation. A system may be composed of many levels of abstraction and many phases of operation, each with its own software architecture. [RoyFieldingThesis]

Architecture Metamodel

@@@

behaviour

The observable effects of an operation or event, including its results.

OMG

business		A series of processes, each having a clearly understood purpose, involving more than one organization, realized through the exchange of information and directed towards some mutually agreed upon goal, extending over a period of time.	ISO/IEC 14662
business activity		A business activity is used to represent the state of the business process of one of the partners. For instance the requester is either in the state of sending the request, in the state of waiting for the response, or in the state of receiving.	BPSS 1.05 CPP 2.0
business area		An area of knowledge or activity characterized by a family of related systems. An area of knowledge or activity characterized by a set of concepts and terminology understood by practitioners in that area.	RUP
business collaboration		An activity conducted between two or more parties for the purpose of achieving a specified outcome.	UEBA 0.59
Business Collaboration Framework	BCF	Business Collaboration Framework. A collection of specifications defining electronic business exchange for two or more business partners. (Established experts on process modeling and B2B e-commerce standards development and implementation.)	Edifecs
Business Collaboration Knowledge		The knowledge involved in a collaboration.	UEBA 0.59
Business Collaboration Model		A Business Collaboration Model describes in detail how Trading Partners take on roles, relationships and responsibilities to facilitate interaction with other Trading Partners.	CPPA 2.0
Business Collaboration Protocol	BCP	A business collaboration protocol choreographs one or more business transaction activities.	UMM
Business Collaboration Rules		Rules of Collaboration between Trading Partners.	CPPA 2.0

business commitments		The making or accepting of a right, liability or responsibility by a Person that is capable of enforcement in the jurisdiction in which the commitment is made.	ISO/IEC 15944-1
business context		Defines a context in which a business has chosen to employ an information entity. The formal description of a specific business circumstance as identified by the values of a set of Context Categories, allowing different business circumstances to be uniquely distinguished.	CCTS 1.90
business document		The set of information components that are interchanged as part of a business activity.	CCTS 1.90
Business Domain View	BDV	View aligned with UMM.	UMM
business entity		Something that is accessed, inspected, manipulated, produced, and worked on in the business.	UMM
business entity class		Group of Items which are structured in the same way that serves the fundamental missions of the company, that has legal and/or business basis, which may participate in exchanges with partners, which will be implemented into objects (object technology) through a modeling process. For example order is a business entity class.	UMM
business expert		A person who is knowledgeable about the business area being modeled.	UMM
business information		Information that two or more Trading Partners agree to use in their exchange of information	BPSS 1.05
Business Information Entity	BIE	A piece of business data or a group of pieces of business data with a unique business semantic definition. A Business Information Entity can be a Basic Business Information Entity (BBIE), an Association Business Information Entity (ASBIE), or an Aggregate Business Information Entity (ABIE).	CCTS 1.90
Business Information Entity Property		A business characteristic belonging to the Object Class in its specific Business Context that is represented by an Aggregate Business Information Entity	CCTS 1.90
business information group		A set of basic and/or aggregate information entities that convey a single business function.	CCTS 1.90
Business Information Model		A model that references all meta-information associated with a specific Business Process.  The Business Information Model references Business Entities, Business Information Entities, and Business Information Objects to accomplish that task.	BPSS 1.05
Business Information Object	BIO	Business Documents are composed from re-useable Business Information Objects.  At a lower level, Business Processes can be composed of re-useable Common Business Processes, and Business Information Objects can be composed of re-useable Core Components. (Common Business Processes and Business Information Objects should be stored in a UMM Business Library.)	BPSS 1.05
business intent		The underlying Business Intent of the Trading Partners	BPSS 1.05
business libraries		A collection of approved process models specific to a line of business (e.g., shipping, insurance).	CCTS 1.90
business message		Any message exchanged between Trading Partners. The Business Process Schema will govern the choreography of business messages and signals.
Business Message Payload		The Assembly Document describes how to construct a Business Message Payload during the Design Phase. (At the time a Trading Partner Agreement is finalized, the Business Message Payloads must also be agreed upon and not subject to change.)
Business Modeling Artifact		Modeling artifact from the Business Operational View. Business Modeling Artifacts SHALL be capable of being discovered and shared by other Actors within the infrastructure to facilitate reusability.
Business Object		An unambiguously identified, specified, referenceable, registerable and re-useable scenario or scenario component of a business transaction. The term business object is used in two distinct but related ways, with slightly different meanings for each usage: In a business model, business objects describe a business itself, and its business context. The business objects capture business concepts and express an abstract view of the business’s “real world”. The term “modeling business object” is used to designate this usage. In a design for a software system or in program code, business objects reflects how business concepts are represented in software. The abstraction here reflects the transformation of business ideas into a software realization. The term “systems business objects” is used to designate this usage.	ISO/IEC 15944-2
Business Object Type	BOT	Modeling artifact from the Business Operational View	BPSS 1.05
Business Operational View	BOV	A perspective of business transactions limited to those aspects regarding the making of business decisions and commitments among organizations, which are needed for the description of a business transaction.	ISO/IEC 14662
Business Operations Map	BOM	The partitioning of business processes into business areas and business categories; first part of Requirements Workflow	UMM
business partner		An entity that engages in business transactions with another business partner(s).	BPSS 1.05
Business Process	BP	The means by which one or more activities are accomplished in operating business practices. The Business Process as described using the UN/CEFACT Catalogue of Common Business Processes.	UMM; CCTS 1.90
Business Process Analysis Working Group	BPAWG	UN/CEFACT Business Process Analysis Working Group. Responsible for analysing and understanding the key elements of international transactions and working for the elimination of constraints.	UN/CEFACT
Business Process and Information Model		Standard methodology and mechanism for modeling a Business Process and its’ associated information models.	UMM
Business Process Context		The Business Process name(s) as described using the UN/CEFACT Catalogue of Common Business Processes as extended by the user.	CCTS 1.90
business process interfact		The definition of how to interact with one partner role in order to make partner perform a desired service.	BPSS 1.05
Business Process Role Context		The actors conducting a particular Business Process, as identified in the UN/CEFACT Catalogue of Common Business Processes.	CCTS 1.90
Business Process Specification Schema	BPSS	Defines the necessary set of elements to specify run-time aspects and configuration parameters to drive the partners' systems used in the collaboration. The goal of the BP Specification Schema is to provide the bridge between the eBusiness process modeling and specification of eBusiness software components.	BPSS 1.05; CPP 2.0
business profile		Describes a company’s ebXML capabilities and constraints, as well as its supported business scenarios.
Business Requirements View	BRV	The view of a business process model that captures the requirements of a business collaboration protocol; second part of Requirements Workflow.	UMM
business role		The Role(s) of Business Partners used in a Business Collaboration and described in the Business Process Model.	BPSS 1.05
business rule		Rules, regulations and practices for business.	UMM
business semantic(s)		A precise meaning of words from a business perspective.	CCTS 1.90
business service		A business service is a network component that responds to business transaction requests initiated by other services.
Business Service Interface		An ebXML collaboration that is conducted by two or more parties each using a human or automated business service that interprets the documents and document envelopes transmitted and decides how to (or whether to) respond. The Business Service Interface is an abstract architectural component that references the business and technical details of hox to invoke a business service, wheter using a manual or automated interface.	BPSS 1.05; UEBA 0.59
Business Service View	BSV	The view of a business process model that specifies the electronic formation of business contracts using an electronic medium; Design Workflow	UMM
Business Term		This is a synonym under which the Core Component or Business Information Entity is commonly known and used in the business. A Core Component or Business Information Entity may have several business terms or synonyms.	CCTS 1.90
Business Transaction	BT	A business transaction is a set of business information and business signal exchanges amongst two business partners that must occur in an agreed format, sequence and time period. A business transaction is a logical unit of business conducted by two or more parties that generates a computable success or failure state. The community, the partners, and the process, are all in a definable, and self-reliant state prior to the business transaction, and in a new definable, and self-reliant state after the business transaction. In other words if you are still 'waiting' for your business partner's response or reaction, the business transaction has not completed.	UMM; CPP 2.0
Business Transaction View	BTV	The view in a business process model that specifies the contract formation process for various types of business contracts; Analysis Workflow	UMM

 

component

A physical, replaceable part of a system that packages implementation and conforms to and provides the realization of a set of interfaces. A component represents a physical piece of implementation of a system, including software code (source, binary or executable) or equivalents such as scripts or command files.

RUP

 

Component

1. A component is a software object, meant to interact with other components, encapsulating certain functionality or a set of functionalities. A component has a clearly defined interface and conforms to a prescribed behavior common to all components within an architecture. [CCA T&D]

2. A component is an abstract unit of software instructions and internal state that provides a transformation of data via its interface. [RoyFieldingThesis]

concept

An abstract idea; a general notion: ▪a plan of intention; a conception; ▪an idea or invention to help sell or publicize a commodity; ▪an idea or thought which corresponds to some distinct entity or class of entities, or to its essential features, or determines the application of a term (especially a predicate), and thus plays a part in the use of reason or language.

New Oxford Dictionary

conformance		Fulfilment of a product, process or service of all requirements specified; adherence of an implementation to the requirements of one or more specific standards or technical specifications.
constraint		A semantic condition or restriction. Certain constraints are predefined in the OMG, others may be user defined. Constraints are one of three extensibility mechanisms in OMG. See tagged value, stereotype.	RUP
constraint language		A formal expression of actions occurring in specific Contexts to assemble, structurally refine, and semantically qualify Core Components. The result of applying the Constraint Language to a set of Core Components in a specific Context is a set of Business Information Entities	CCTS 1.90

deliverable

An output from a process that has a value, material or otherwise, to a customer or other stakeholder.

RUP

data type

A descriptor of a set of values that lack identity and whose operations do not have side effects. Datatypes include primitive pre-defined types and user-definable types. Pre-defined types include numbers, string and time. User-definable types include enumerations. Defines the set of valid values that can be used for a particular Basic Core Component Property or Basic Business Information Entity Property. It is defined by specifying restrictions on the Core Component Type that forms the basis of the Data Type.

RUP CCTS 1.90

Configuration

Configuration is the structure of architectural relationships among components, connectors, and data during a period of system run-time. [RoyFieldingThesis]

Connector

A connector is an abstract mechanism that mediates communication, coordination, or cooperation among components. [RoyFieldingThesis]

Element

Software architecture is defined by a configuration of architectural elements--components, connectors, and data--constrained in their relationships in order to achieve a desired set of architectural properties. [RoyFieldingThesis]

Reference Architecture

A reference architecture is the generalized architecture of several end systems that share one or more common domains. The reference architecture defines the infrastructure common to the end systems and the interfaces of components that will be included in the end systems. The reference architecture is then instantiated to create a software architecture of a specific system. The definition of the reference architecture facilitates deriving and extending new software architectures for classes of systems. A reference architecture, therefore, plays a dual role with regard to specific target software architectures. First, it generalizes and extracts common functions and configurations. Second, it provides a base for instantiating target systems that use that common base more reliably and cost effectively. [Ref Arch]

3 General Terms

analysis

The part of the software development process whose primary purpose is to formulate a model of the problem area. Analysis focuses on what to do, design focuses on how to do it. See design.

RUP

API

API

See Application Protocol Interface.

Application Protocol Interface

API

 

attribute

An attribute defined by a class represents a named property of the class or its objects. An attribute has a type that defines the type of its instances. A named value or relationship that exists for some or all instances of some entity and is directly associated with that instance.

RUP; CCTS 1.90

 

Attribute

A distinct characteristic of an object. An object's attributes are said to describe the object. Objects' attributes are often specified in terms of their physical traits, such as size, shape, weight, and color, etc., for real-world objects. Objects in cyberspace might have attributes describing size, type of encoding, network address, etc. Salient attributes of an object is decided by the beholder. [WSIA Glossary]

Asynchronous

Property of an interaction which isn't synchronous.

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. [WSD Reqs]

cardinality

An indication whether a characteristic is optional, mandatory and/or repetitive

CCTS 1.90

 

Connection

A transport layer virtual circuit established between two programs for the purpose of communication. [RFC 2616]

Conversation

A logical collection of messages exchanged between communicating parties.

See long-running interaction and long-running transaction.

Correlation

The assocation of one message to another.

Discovery

The exchange of the Web service description details necessary to interact with the service.

document		A Document is any data that can be represented in a digital form.
document exchange		An exchange of documents between two parties.

electronic commerce

Electronic Commerce is doing business electronically. This includes the sharing of standardized unstructured or structured business information by any electronic means (such as electronic mail or messaging, World Wide Web technology, electronic bulletin boards, smart cards, electronic funds transfers, electronic data interchange, and automatic data capture technology) among suppliers, customers, governmental bodies and other partners in order to conduct and execute transactions in business, administrative and consumer activities.

UN/CEFACT SIMAC

Electronic Data Interchange

EDI

The automated exchange of any predefined and structured data for business among information systems of two or more organizations.

ISO/IEC 14662

EndPoint

@@@ Currently synonym of port; confusion possible.

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. [WSD Reqs]

enumeration

A list of named values used as the range of a particular attribute type. For example, RGBColor = {red, green, blue}. Boolean is a predefined enumeration with values from the set {false, true}.

RUP

 

Feature

Preferred: An abstract piece of functionality.

See also SOAP Feature

generalization		A taxonomic relationship between a more general element and a more specific element. The more specific element is fully consistent with the more general element and contains additional information. An instance of the more specific element may be used where the more general element is allowed. See inheritance.	RUP
Geopolitical Context		A specific instance of a context driver covering all aspects of geography and political influences on a business.	CCTS 1.90

 

Identity

The unique identifier for a person, organization, resource, or service. [WSIA Glossary]

implementation

An implementation is the realization of a specification. It can be a software product, system or program.

NIST CCTS 1.90

inheritance		The mechanism by which more specific elements incorporate structure and behavior of more general elements related by behavior. See generalization.	RUP
instance		An individual entity satisfying the description of a class or type.	RUP

 

Interaction

The act of doing an operation.

interface

A collection of operations that are used to specify a service of a class or a component. A named set of operations that characterize the behavior of an element.

RUP

 

Interface

A logical grouping of operations. An Interface represents an abstract Service type, independent of transmission protocol and data format. [WSD Reqs]

Introspection

@@@

Long-Running Interaction

A series of operations between a client and a Web service.

See conversation and long-running transaction.

Managed Object

Metadata referred to in the Registry. Trading Partner Profiles and Trading Partner Agreements SHALL be capable of pointing at other artifacts via a reference to a Registry Managed Object.

UEBA 0.59

 

Metric

A metric is an attribute of an architectural component that may be defined during the configuration of the architectural component, can be measured during the use of this architecture component, and whose value may be evaluated.

message

A specification of the conveyance of information from one instance to another, with the expectation that activity will ensue. A message may specify the raising of a signal or the call of an operation. The movement of a document from one party to another.

RUP CCTS 1.90

 

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. [WSD Reqs]

model		A semantically closed abstraction of a system. In the Unified Process, a complete description of a system from a particular perspective ('complete' meaning you don't need any additional information to understand the system from that perspective); a set of model elements. Two models cannot overlap. A semantically closed abstraction of a subject system. See system. Usage note In the context of the MOF specification, which describes a meta-metamodel, for brevity the meta-metamodel is frequently referred to as simply the model.	RUP
modeling tool		Any device or implement used to carry out modeling whether manually or by a machine.	COD

Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions

MIME

MIME is an extension of the original Internet e-mail protocol that lets people use the protocol to exchange different kinds of data files on the Internet: audio, video, images, application programs, and other kinds, as well as the ASCII text handled in the original protocol, the Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP). In 1991, Nathan Borenstein of Bellcore proposed to the IETF that SMTP be extended so that Internet (but mainly Web) clients and servers could recognize and handle other kinds of data than ASCII text. As a result, new file types were added to "mail" as a supported Internet Protocol file type.

http://searchwebservices.techtarget.com/sDefinition

MIME

MIME

See Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions.

Message Exchange Pattern

@@@

For now, see SOAP message exchange pattern (MEP).

Operation

A set of messages related to a single Web service action. [WSD Reqs]

Orchestration

@@@ In progress

Port

1. See end point.

2. An identifier used to differentiate the data streams that a TCP can handle. [RFC 793]

package

A general-purpose mechanism for organizing elements into groups. Packages may be nested within other packages.

RUP

 

Reliable messaging

The ability:

1. of a sender of a message to be able to determine whether a given message has been received by its intended receiver and to take compensating action in the event a given message has been determined not to have been received.

2. of the intended receiver of the message to be assured that it receives and processes a given message once and only once.

3. of both sender and receiver of a message to carry out (1) and (2) with a high probability of success in the face of inevitable, yet often unpredictable, network, system, and software failures.

re-use

Further use or repeated use of an artifact.

RUP

runtime

The period of time during which a computer program executes.

RUP

scenario		A formal specification of a class of business activities having the same business goal.	ISO 9735 Part I
schema		Schema is "A diagrammatic representation; an outline or model." Something that formally describes the abstract structure of a set of data can therefore be called schema.	W3C
scope		The extent to which it is possible to range; the opportunity for action etc.	COD

 

Service

1. Component performing a task.

2. See Web Service.

agreement

An arrangement between two partner types that specifies in advance the conditions under which they will trade (terms of shipment, terms of payment, collaboration protocols, etc.) An agreement does not imply specific economic commitments.

BPSS 1.05

 

Service Agreement

Contract between a service provider and a client regarding the attributes of a Web service and its usage.

Session

A lasting interaction between system entities, often involving a user, typified by the maintenance of some state of the interaction for the duration of the interaction. [WSIA Glossary]

Such an interaction is not limited to a single connection between the system entities.

 

software solution		The act or a means of solving a problem or difficulty using a  software.	COD
specification		A declarative description of what something is or does. Contrast implementation.	RUP

State

A set of attributes representing the properties of a component at some point in time.

Synchronous

Property of an interaction whose results are directly following the interaction.

system

As an instance, an executable configuration of a software application or software application family; the execution is done on a hardware platform. As a class, a particular software application or software application family that can be configured and installed on a hardware platform. In a general sense, an arbitrary system instance. A collection of connected units that are organized to accomplish a specific purpose. A system can be described by one or more models, possibly from different viewpoints. Synonym physical system. 2. A top-level subsystem.

RUP

template		A pre-defined structure for an artifact. Synonym parameterized element.	RUP
test		A core process workflow in the software-engineering process whose purpose is to integrate and test the system.	RUP

 

traceability

The ability to trace a project element to other related project elements, especially those related to requirements.

RUP

 

Time-Out

A period of time after which some condition becomes true if some event has not occurred. For example, a session that is terminated because its state has been inactive for a specified period of time is said to "time out". [WSIA Glossary]

 

Web service

1. A Web service is a software system identified by a URI [RFC 2396], whose public interfaces and bindings are defined and described using XML. Its definition can be discovered by other software systems. These systems may then interact with the Web service in a manner prescribed by its definition, using XML based messages conveyed by Internet protocols.

2. A collection of EndPoints. [WSD Reqs]

4 Choreography Definitions

choreography

A declaration of the activities within collaboration and the sequencing rules and dependencies between these activities.

Choreography

The specification of the ordering of messages from one node's perspective or a collection of nodes. May or may not include Turing complete logic in determination of the message exchange pattern.

@@@ Definition in progress: the above definition was the original proposal.

Declarative

@@@

Procedural

@@@

Turing Complete

@@@

Abstract (Choreography) Business Processes

These are definitions that are designed to describe the ordering of business activities that send and/or receive messages. The definition of the flow between activities is not computationally complete (i.e., it cannot be executed). All of the messages are between independent business entities (participants). The participants may be across companies or within a company. There are two types of these processes: Interface Business Processes and Collaboration Business Processes.

Interface Business Processes

This is an abstract business process that defines how outside participants can expect to interact with a service of a business entity. This service can be implemented as any type of application, including an executable business process. If the interface is for an executable business process, then all activities within the interface business process will also exist within the executable business process-that is, the interface business process will be a sub-set of the executable business process. Example of specifications to define these types of processes: WSCI and the abstract part of BPEL4WS

collaboration

Describes a pattern of interaction among objects; it shows the objects participating in the interaction by their links to each other and the messages they send to each other. Two or more parties working together under a defined set of rules.

RUP; CPP 2.0

collaboration diagram		A collaboration diagram describes a pattern of interaction among objects; it shows the objects participating in the interaction by their links to each other and the messages they send to each other. Unlike a sequence diagram, a collaboration diagram shows the relationships among the instances. Sequence diagrams and collaboration diagrams express similar information, but show it in different ways. See sequence diagram.	RUP
Collaboration Protocol		The protocol that defines for a Collaborative Process: 1. The sequence, dependencies and semantics of the Documents that are exchanged between Parties in order to carry out that Collaborative Process, and 2. The Messaging Capabilities used when sending documents between those Parties. Note that a Collaborative Process can have more than one Collaboration Protocol by which it can be implemented	CPPA 2.0; CCTS 1.90
Collaboration Protocol Agreement	CPA	Information agreed between two (or more) Parties that identifies or describes the specific Collaboration Protocol that they have agreed to use. A CPA indicates what the involved Parties “will” do when carrying out a Collaborative Process. A CPA is representable by a Document	CPPA 2.0; CCTS 1.90
Collaboration Protocol Profile	CPP	Information about a Party that can be used to describe one or more Collaborative Processes and associated Collaborative Protocols that the Party supports. A CPP indicates what a Party “can” do in order to carry out a Collaborative Process. A CPP is representable by a Document. While logically, a CPP is a single document, in practice, the CPP might be a set of linked documents that express various aspects of the capabilities. A CPP is not an agreement. It represents the capabilities of a Party.	CPPA 2.0; CCTS 1.90
Collaborative Process		A shared process by which two Parties work together in order to carry out a process. The Collaborative Process can be defined by an ebXML Collaboration Model.
commitment		An obligation to perform an economic event (that is, transfer ownership of a specified quantity of a specified economic resource type) at some future point in time. Order line items are examples of commitment.	BPSS 1.05
Common Business Process		A business process that is used with reasonable frequency in a business community. For electronic business-to-business commerce, we are interested in business processes that manifest themselves in an exchange (one way, two way, or n-way) of information in electronic format between parties. Typically, Common Business Processes are defined by standards bodies or business communities that are generally perceived as defining de facto standards for business processes within their domain of specialization. A business process that is not defined as common by a standards body or is only used by a small business community is not a Common Business Process. The phrase "exchange of information in electronic format" includes XML messaging, EDI messaging, file transfers, and other forms of electronic data exchange. This could include facsimile, email, and phone conversations.  However, it is probably important that any business process that contains a facsimile or phone conversation component also include at least one electronic message, file transfer, or the like.	BPSS 1.05

Collaboration Business Processes

This is an abstract business process that defines how two or more interface business processes interact with each other. Even if these business processes were executable, there could be no central control mechanism that could run one of these processes. These processes are dependent on the implementations of the interface business processes to act in coordination. Example of specifications to define these types of processes: WSCI global model and BPSS

Executable (Orchestration) Business Processes

These are definitions that are designed to describe the ordering of business activities that send and/or receive messages. The definition of the flow between activities is computationally complete (i.e., it can be executed). The messages may be sent to/from: a) an independent business entity to itself and b) an independent business entity to another (participant). These could be called internal or workflow business processes. The business activities that interact with another participant will also appear in a derived abstract business process. In fact, the definition of an executable business process is a superset of the definition of an abstract business process. Example of specifications to define these types of processes: executable part of BPEL4WS and BPML

5 Roles

		An actor is a legal entity — such as a person or a corporation — that may be the owner and ultimate providers of Web services and the owner of agents seeking to use Web	WSArch Draft
actor		Someone or something, outside the system or business that interacts with the system or business.	RUP

		An agent is a program acting on behalf of another person, entity, or process that exchanges information with other agents.	WSArch Draft
agent		An agent is a network component that must implement protocols up to the agent layer of the e-business network application, communications model.

 

Browser

A system entity that is used by an end user to access a Web site. A browser provides a run-time environment for distributed application components on the client's device. [WSIA Glossary]

client

Software that initiates a connection with a Server.

Client

A system entity making use of a Web service.

End User

A natural person who makes use of resources for application purposes. [X.800]

Gateway

A node that terminates a message on an inbound interface with the intent of presenting it through an outbound interface as a new message. Unlike a proxy, a gateway receives messages as if it were the final receiver for the message. Due to possible mismatches between the inbound and outbound interfaces, a message may be modified and may have some or all of its meaning lost during the conversion process. For example, an HTTP PUT has no equivalent in SMTP.

Note: a gateway may or may not be a SOAP node; however a gateway is never a SOAP intermediary, since gateways terminate messages and SOAP intermediaries relay them instead. Being a gateway is typically a permanent role, whilst being a SOAP intermediary is message specific.

Node

Relationship with SOAP node and party?

@@@ Better term than party?

 

party

A Party is an entity such as a company, department, organisation or individual that can generate, send, receive or relay Documents.

 

Party

Any system entity taking part into an interaction.

Proxy Server

A computer process that relays a protocol between client and server computer systems, by appearing to the client to be the server and appearing to the server to be the client. [RFC 2828]

Provider

A business entity that sells access to or use of Web services. [WSIA Glossary]

 

receiver		Recipient of a Message.
register		An official list in which items are recorded for reference (list of elementary data in which the meaning -i.e. semantics- of these data is defined).
registry		A mechanism where relevant repository items and metadata about them can be stored such that a pointer to their location, and all their metadata, can be retrieved as a result of a query.	UEBA 0.59
Registry Authority	RA	A super user who maintains registry. (Registry Administrator)	ISO11179
registry class		The formal definition of all the information necessary to be recorded in the Registry about a Core Component, a Business Information Entity, a Data Type or a Business Context.	CCTS 1.90
registry client		An ebXML application that makes use of services offered by a Registry using the messaging services.	UEBA 0.59
Registry Client Interface		A set of Registry Services that provide access to Registry content to clients of the Registry is defined in the ebXML Registry Services Specification.	UEBA 0.59
registry entry		Metadata that catalogs registry item.
registry infrastructure provider		An entity which provides a registry/ repository to store profiles, CPPs etc.
registry interface		A set of Registry Services that provide access to Registry content to clients of the Registry is defined in the ebXML Registry Services Specification.	UEBA 0.59
Registry Information Model	RIM	Specifies the information model for the ebXML Registry.	ebRIM Spec
Registry Object		Object contained in the Registry and can be referenced from the Registry.	RIM/ebRSS V2.3
Registry Service		A way of providing access to Registry content to clients of the Registry.	ebRSS V2.3
Registry Services Specification	RSS	Defines the interface to the ebXML Registry Services as well as interaction protocols, message definitions and XML schema.	ebRSS V2.3
registry user		Authorized user of a Registry.	ebRIM Spec
relationship		A semantic connection among model elements. Examples of relationships include associations and generalizations.	RUP
repository		Electronic store of structured information (such as EDIFACT messages, X12 messages, XML messages, Core Components, …).

Registry

A system entity that provides Service and Service Provider information.

Service Provider

The organizational entity that provides the service. [WSIA Glossary]

System Entity

An active element of a computer/network system. For example, an automated process or set of processes, a subsystem, a person or group of persons that incorporates a distinct set of functionality. [RFC 2828]

User

See end user.

User Agent

A system entity operated by a user, that is capable of accessing Web resources.

Web Site

A collection of interlinked Web pages, including a host page, residing at the same network location. [Web Term]

6 Service Properties

Capability

@@@ From AR024.3

Evolvability

@@@

Reliability

@@@

Stability

@@@

7 SOAP Specific Definitions

This section contains definitions of SOAP-specific terms that were taken from [SOAP12 Part1].

8 Security and Privacy Related Terms

Access

To interact with a system entity in order to manipulate, use, gain knowledge of, and/or obtain a representation of some or all of a system entity's resources. [RFC 2828]

Access Control

Protection of resources against unauthorized access; a process by which use of resources is regulated according to a security policy and is permitted by only authorized system entities according to that policy. [RFC 2828]

Access Control Information

1. Any information used for access control purposes, including contextual information. [X.812]

2. Contextual information might include source IP address, encryption strength, the type of operation being requested, time of day, etc. Portions of access control information may be specific to the request itself, some may be associated with the connection via which the request is transmitted, and others (for example, time of day) may be "environmental". [RFC 2829]

Access Rights

A description of the type of authorized interactions a subject can have with a resource. Examples include read, write, execute, add, modify, and delete. [WSIA Glossary]

Account

The set of attributes that together define a user's access to a given service. Each service may define a unique set of attributes to define an account. An account defines user or system access to a resource or service. [ProvServ Glossary]

Anonymity

The quality or state of being anonymous, which is the condition of having a name or identity that is unknown or concealed. [RFC 2828]

Auditing

A service that reliably and securely records security-related events producing an audit trail enabling the reconstruction and examination of a sequence of events. Security events could include authentication events, policy enforcement decisions, and others. The resulting audit trail may be used to detect attacks, confirm compliance with policy, deter abuse, or other purposes.

Authentication

To positively verify the identity of a user, device, or other entity in a computer system, often as a prerequisite to allowing access to resources in a system. [X.811]

authorization		A right or a permission that is granted to a system entity to access a system resource.
authorisation process		A procedure for granting authorization.

 

Authorization

The process of determining, by evaluating applicable access control information, whether a subject is allowed to have the specified types of access to a particular resource. Usually, authorization is in the context of authentication. Once a subject is authenticated, it may be authorized to perform different types of access. [STG]

Confidentiality

Assuring information will be kept secret, with access limited to appropriate persons. [NSA Glossary]

Credentials

Data that is transferred to establish a claimed principal identity. [X.800]

digital signature

A digital code that can be attached to an electronically transmitted message that uniquely identifies the sender

encryption

Cryptographic transformation of data (called "plaintext") into a form (called "ciphertext") that conceals the data's original meaning to prevent it from being known or used. If the transformation is reversible, the corresponding reversal process is called "decryption", which is a transformation that restores encrypted state.data to its original state.

 

Integrity

Assuring information will not be accidentally or maliciously altered or destroyed. [NSA Glossary]

Login, Logon, Sign-On

The process whereby a user presents credentials to an authentication authority, establishes a simple session, and optionally establishes a rich session. [WSIA Glossary]

Logout, Logoff, Sign-Off

The process of presenting credentials to an authentication authority, establishing a simple session, and optionally establishing a rich session. [WSIA Glossary]

@@@ Is that correct? Shouldn't it be to terminate a session?

Non-Repudiation

Method by which the sender of data is provided with proof of delivery and the recipient is assured of the sender's identity, so that neither can later deny having processed the data. [INFOSEC Glossary]

Persistent Authentication

@@@ From reqs

Principal

A system entity whose identity can be authenticated. [X.811]

Privacy policy

A set of rules and practices that specify or regulate how a system entity or organization collects, processes (uses) and discloses users' personal data as a result of the interaction with a service.

Security Architecture

A plan and set of principles for an administrative domain and its security domains that describe the security services that a system is required to provide to meet the needs of its users, the system elements required to implement the services, and the performance levels required in the elements to deal with the threat environment. A complete security architecture for a system addresses administrative security, communication security, computer security, emanations security, personnel security, and physical security, and prescribes security policies for each. A complete security architecture needs to deal with both intentional, intelligent threats and accidental threats. A security architecture should explicitly evolve over time as an integral part of its administrative domain's evolution. [RFC 2828]

 

Security Model

A schematic description of a set of entities and relationships by which a specified set of security services are provided by or within a system. [RFC 2828]

Security Domain

An environment or context that is defined by security models and a security architecture, including a set of resources and set of system entities that are authorized to access the resources. One or more security domains may reside in a single administrative domain. The traits defining a given security domain typically evolve over time. [RFC 2828]

Security Mechanism

A process (or a device incorporating such a process) that can be used in a system to implement a security service that is provided by or within the system.

Security Policy

A set of rules and practices that specify or regulate how a system or organization provides security services to protect resources. Security policies are components of security architectures. Significant portions of security policies are implemented via security services, using security policy expressions. [RFC 2828]

Security Policy Expression

A mapping of principal identities and/or attributes thereof with allowable actions. Security policy expressions are often essentially access control lists. [STG]

Security Service

A processing or communication service that is provided by a system to give a specific kind of protection to resources, where said resources may reside with said system or reside with other systems, for example, an authentication service or a PKI-based document attribution and authentication service. A security service is a superset of AAA services. Security services typically implement portions of security policies and are implemented via security mechanisms. [RFC 2828]

Transient Authentication

@@@ From reqs

Username/User Identity

The unique identity for a user with a system [WSIA Glossary]

9 Management Terms

Availability

@@@

Configuration

@@@

Control

@@@

Management Capability

@@@

Management Operation

@@@

Performance Monitoring

@@@

Resource Accounting

@@@

Security Administration

@@@

Security Auditing

@@@ Relationship with auditing?

Service Level Agreements

@@@

Usage Auditing

@@@

Usage Tracking

@@@

10 References