SOA Reference Model 1.0 Approved as OASIS Standard

Posted by Miko Matsumura on Oct 12, 2006 04:46 PM

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According to the SOA Reference Model document itself, a reference model is an abstract framework for understanding significant relationships among the entities of some environment. It enables the development of specific reference or concrete architectures using consistent standards or specifications supporting that environment. A reference model consists of a minimal set of unifying concepts, axioms and relationships within a particular problem domain, and is independent of specific standards, technologies, implementations, or other concrete details.

The reference model defines SOA as:
Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a paradigm for organizing and utilizing distributed capabilities that may be under the control of different ownership domains.

Now SOA has a standardized reference model, thanks to the work of OASIS SOA-RM technical committee. According to an email sent to the OASIS Reference Model Technical Committee, Duane Nickull, chair of the TC notified the group's status on the standardization vote as follows:

The Ballot to advance the Reference Model for SOA to become a full OASIS Standard received 89 positive votes, the second highest number of positive votes anyone on the TC can recall being cast to support a standard.  The single no vote came from Avaya Inc.  The sole statement provided by a representative from that company was:

"Too vague and confusing, e.g. things which are not SOA can be mapped into this and claim they conform to this SOA model."

Despite this sole dissenting vote, the techical committee, after approaching Avaya with a formal letter and expressing an interest to resolve any issues with the spec, the Technical Committee decided to move ahead according to the OASIS rules and move to a standard with a final tally of 89 organizations supporting, one against.

The Reference Model can be downloaded here:
http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=soa-rm

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   Smart Folks

   Oct 13, 2006 4:39 AM by Stefan Tilkov

   Those Avaya guys, they're smart. I honestly don't know what value, exactly, the RM provides ...

   Reply

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   Re: Smart Folks

   Oct 13, 2006 9:06 AM by John Harby

   Also notice noone from Microsoft, IBM or Oracle on the membership list. This lack of major vendor leadership or support always concerned me.

   Reply

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   ownership domains definition

   Oct 13, 2006 9:16 AM by Floyd Marinescu

   Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a paradigm for organizing and utilizing distributed capabilities that may be under the control of different ownership domains.

   I find this definition surprising as I've never heard SOA described in this manner anywhere else. No mention of loose coupling, no mention of standard protocols, etc. I'm curious why this definition is the way it is.

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   Re: ownership domains definition

   Oct 13, 2006 7:16 PM by Jeevak Kasarkod

   It is so loosely defined that everything from CORBA to EAI and grid systems fit into this definition.Secondly, do the component services have to be distributed by definition? It should be easier to distribute the capabilities of a choreographed business process or a business service which follows the SOA principles. Any comments on that?

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