Software Architect's Handbook

Service-oriented architecture

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is an architectural pattern for developing software systems by creating loosely coupled, interoperable services that work together to automate business processes. A service is a part of a software application that performs a specific task, providing functionality to other parts of the same software application or to other software applications. Some examples of service consumers include web applications, mobile applications, desktop applications, and other services.

SOA achieves a SoC, which is a design principle that separates a software system into parts, with each part addressing a distinct concern. We discussed SoC in Chapter 6, Software Development Principles and Practices ...