Web services: Glossary

.Net

Microsoft's flagship web services strategy, broader in vision than anything else out there from a single vendor. Encompasses a wholly re-designed software architecture, a new programming language, a new development environment, a raft of server and database software and integration with the operating system and Office applications. Critics say the company is trying to take over the internet. However, Microsoft has now largely given up trying to run the front end services as well as sell the back-end software for web services.

Application server

Server software that serves up applications to run on websites. Can be used like middleware to 'e-enable' legacy applications. Key to deployments of web services based around Java as can be used to serve up Java applications to websites. Main players in the market are BEA and IBM with Microsoft, Oracle and Sun also having similar offerings. See also: J2EE

C#

Microsoft's new programming language to write .Net applications. Arousing a great deal of interest from developers, it purportedly has the ability to make applications written in any language .Net compatible, leading to comparisons with Java. However, unlike Sun's Java programming language, it only runs on one operating system - Windows. See also: .Net.

Federated model

Refers to where the customer information central to providing web services resides. Microsoft at first caused uproar by suggesting it would hold the bulk of consumer data, such as credit card details, addresses and preferences, on its own servers in Redmond. The federated model allows the data to reside with whoever is providing the web service but opens up new issues of interoperability. Microsoft has now backed down from its suggestion and is backing a federated model. See also: Liberty Alliance.

J2EE

Stands for Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition. If you're creating web services, and you're not using .Net, then you're probably using J2EE. Incorporating the Java 'write once, run anywhere' programming language, it also includes a development kit and support for middleware protocols EJB and Corba as well as the all-important XML. Central to Sun Microsystems' web services vision and also that of other vendors such as IBM.

Liberty Alliance

Business alliance formed to enable businesses to hold customer data for web services based on a federated model. Aim is to give customers the confidence they can leave their details with someone they trust, and businesses the confidence they can keep hold of valuable customer data. Led by HP, Nokia, RSA Security, Sony, Sun Microsystems and a raft of powerful user companies, it is often perceived as anti-Microsoft, despite the fact Microsoft has now adopted a federated model. See also: Federated Model.

Passport

Microsoft's controversial authentication engine, currently used to log users into the Hotmail website. Microsoft's vision is to develop Passport as a single sign-on point for a raft of web services. Controversial because many are concerned Microsoft, give some high-profile security gaffes, shouldn't end up providing the de facto standard for web services authentication. However, Microsoft is now moving away from providing actual services. See also: .Net, single sign-on and federated model.

Single sign-on

The idea of accessing a wide range of personalised services on the internet, from different companies, but only having to identify yourself once. Users build up a profile of personal details and preferences which are all activated by signing in once. Theoretically, users could buy on the web without entering credit card or address details, as online IDs would hold all this information. Added convenience but inherent concerns over the security of giving a single target for malicious hackers. See also: Passport, federated model and Liberty Alliance.

SOAP or Simple Object Access Protocol

SOAP is the lingua franca of web services protocols. It is designed to enable the exchange of information in a decentralised, distributed computing environment. Written as a standard form of XML messaging, it works by simply wrapping around any application it comes into contact with like an envelope, so removing interoperability barriers caused by different coding languages on applications and platforms. It is able to tell what is in a message, who should deal with it and whether it is an optional or mandatory request. SOAP was created by Microsoft and IBM in 2000.

Sun One

The name for Sun Microsystems' over-arching web services strategy. Rivalling Microsoft's .Net, it is the only articulated web services vision that comes near it in terms of scope. Sun One relies heavily on the J2EE environment, based around application servers and heavyweight server hardware. Sun hopes web services generally will increase server and operating system sales. See also: .Net, J2EE and application server.

UDDI or Universal Description, Discovery and Integration

UDDI is often described as the Yellow Pages of the internet. Based on SOAP, it literally works as a directory that businesses can use as a framework for describing their services, discovering other businesses and defining how they interact and share information globally. Registries are already being run by IBM and Microsoft, among others.

WSDL or Web Services Description Language

WSDL is, to put it simply, the language used to write information about businesses in UDDI directories. It could be described as the format that the adverts within the Yellow Pages take.

WSFL or Web Services Flow Language

WSFL helps web services move through the internet. Using flow models it describes business processes by deciding how a collection of web services should be guided so the group understands how to achieve its specific business goal. Then WSFL applies global models to describe overall interactions by instructing the group of web services on how to move together to complete their mission.

WS-Security or Web Services Security

WS-Security is the latest ratified addition to the web services protocol basket. It enhances SOAP with a variety of security strategies including message integrity and confidentiality testing plus message authentication. It can work with a wide variety of security models and encryption technologies. It also uses security tokens and can code binary tokens - X.509 certificates and Kerberos tickets, specifically.

XML or Extensible Markup Language

XML is a universal format for structured documents and data on the internet. It is a very simple language, based originally on Standard Generalised Markup Language (SGML), of which it is a restricted form. It is interoperable with Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) and future versions of HTML will be based on XML rather than SGML.

Other links:
Web services - what you should be doing
http://www.silicon.com/a53131

by Heather McLean and Joey Gardiner