Re: SOAP Binding Framework Concerns

Marwan:  I think the fundamental reaons the framework is appropriate are:

1) We need to give guidance to those who invent the bindings of particular 
transports into SOAP.  How do you know if you've done one that is 
conformant?  How do you know if you've delivered the right information to 
the next node at the right time?  Those rules are invariant across 
transports, and therefore should be captured in an invariant manner. 
Regardless of transport, you'll be given an envelope (for example), and 
will be expected to move it to the next node (or fault, or whatever.) 
Those rules are to a large degree common across transports.  The framework 
captures that commonality.

2) Whether WSDL is used or not, applications benefit from knowing whether 
a pattern such as "Request/Repsonse" has the same behavior over two or 
more transports, or not.  If it does, then the application can (if 
desired) be written to be largely independent of transport.  Indeed, WSDL 
seems a good place to document that commonality, but the binding framework 
and MEP framework set out what's comment to all such patterns, and allow 
one to make rigorous statements about which patterns are supported by 
which transports and bindings.

3) Similarly for features such as various forms of security, reliable 
delivery etc.

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Noah Mendelsohn                                    Voice: 1-617-693-4036
Lotus Development Corp.                            Fax: 1-617-693-8676
One Rogers Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
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Received on Friday, 19 October 2001 17:22:16 UTC