The
Web Services Interoperability Organization (WS-I), which was cofounded
by Microsoft Corp. and IBM, is an open industry organization chartered
to promote Web services interoperability across platforms, operating systems,
and programming languages. The organization works across the industry and
standards organizations, responding to customer needs by providing guidance,
best practices, and resources for developing Web services solutions. Oracle,
IBM, Microsoft, BEA, Fujitsu, Intel, Accenture, Hewlett-Packard, and SAP
are nine WS-I founding companies.
The
WS-I has said that it plans to appoint two new members to its board, one
of which could Microsoft rival Sun Microsystems Inc. Sun finally joined
WS-I in October 2002 and is, therefore, eligible. This could pave the way
for the consortium to develop Web services standards that are embraced
by software rivals.
The
WS-I was formed specifically to create, support, or promote Generic Protocols
for Interoperable exchange of messages between services. Generic Protocols
are independent of the specific actions messages indicate beyond those
actions that messages need for secure, reliable, and efficient delivery.
"Interoperable" means being suitable for and capable of being implemented
neutrally on multiple operating systems, in multiple programming languages.
The
WS-I is organized into three key working groups:
-
The
Basic Web Services Profile Working Group will identify a core set of specifications
(including XML Schema, SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI) that provide the foundation
for Web services. It will establish conventions and recommendations for
coordinating their use.
-
The
Sample Applications Working Group will provide sample applications of basic
Web services that accelerate deployments. These sample apps illustrate
best practices for implementation and will be developed in multiple programming
languages using multiple development tools.
-
The
Test Materials and Tools Development Working Group will develop a suite
of self-administered tests to verify conformance with the Basic Web Services
Profile. Developers will be able to use these tools and materials to ensure
Web services interoperate across platforms, applications, and programming
languages.
If
you're implementing Web services, it's wise to comply with the existing
standards-based model, which enables interoperability and a faster time
to market. The WS-I can provide the clarity, guidance, and direction around
usability aspects as you move into the Web services model of computing.
To
assist in ensuring the interoperability of Web services, the WS-I will
create a suite of tools and materials initially for testing implementations
and their conformance with "basic level" Web services standards: XML, SOAP,
WSDL, and UDDI. These testing capabilities are important so you can ensure
your implementations comply with the best practices use for these Web services
specifications. Tests will be self-administered and aim at uncovering unconventional
usage or errors in specification implementations, thus improving interoperability
between applications and across platforms.
John
Flynn
(703)
284-4612
DAML
Integration and Transition PM
BBN
Technologies