Service (IT)
The term service (also service or daemon ) generally describes a technical, self-sufficient unit in computer science , which bundles related functionalities into a complex of topics and makes them available via a clearly defined interface .
Typical examples here are web services that make functionalities available to third parties via the Internet or intranet , network services , system services or telecommunications services .
Ideally, a service should abstract a technical function to such an extent that it is not necessary to understand the technology behind it. He should also precisely define which technical functions he offers (e.g. in a "service contract").
In contrast to an application programming interface (API), a service usually encapsulates the technical representation in technical functionality, is self-contained and assigned to a clearly defined task field. An API therefore provides more technological functions and a service more technically oriented functions.
If a software architecture primarily uses services to implement the functions, this is referred to as SOA ( service-oriented architecture ), where the term service is defined more precisely.
Definitions
SOMF ("Service Oriented Modeling Framework") generally defines a service as a "holistic entity that encapsulates business requirements and can be technologically determined as a software component".
OASIS, on the other hand, describes services more specifically as "a mechanism for accessing one or more functionalities, with access taking place through a well-defined interface - taking into account the guidelines and restrictions that are to be stored in the service contract".
See also
literature
Service-Oriented Architecture: Concepts, Technology, and Design Prentice Hall PTR Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA © 2005 ISBN 0131858580
swell
- ↑ Bianco Phil, Kotermanski Rick Merson Paulo: Evaluating a Service-Oriented Architecture . Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute, September 2007
- ↑ Service Oriented Conceptualization Model (SOMF) Language Specifications 2.1 ( Memento of the original from April 17, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 541 kB)
- ↑ OASIS Reference Model for Service Oriented Architecture 1.0
