Web Services Deployment: Managing Deployed Services

The first three diagrams below show cases of Web services deployment: in-network components (see Web services control architecture discussion) across successive Web services projects in the enterprise.

In Figure 1, an initial inventory project is now depicted with Web services management in place. A service broker is used to manage the services provided by the packaged CRM solution and those created for inventory management. The customer service workstation application consumes these services by delivering messages to a URI representing a message receiver on the front end of the broker. An Active Agent deployed directly on the application server is managing the order management service. In this case, the CSR workstation application sends service requests (messages) directly to the application server rather than through a broker. The use of an agent provides certain advantages such as increased performance and more transparency, but offers less functionality than a broker and introduces an invasive footprint on the server. For the tax and shipping services being provided by an outside organization a broker is the only feasible in-network component choice, since there is no access to the systems providing the services. Even if access were possible, it is unlikely permission would be granted to modify them by installing new software.

Once under management, reuse of services to create new applications and application components means reuse of the management capabilities now built in to the service network. Where new services are created, they are brought under management. For example, in Figure 2, a service broker deployed in the "DMZ" is installed to manage the new services providing integration with customer procurement systems.

Web Services Deployment Figure 1: Service brokers and active agents deployed in support of initial project.

Web Services Deployment Figure 2: New application components link to existing services through brokers and agented providers. Newly introduced services are brought under management.

Web Services Deployment Figure 3: Successive project deployments with active agents and service brokers leads to a fabric of control woven into the enterprise service network.

Web Services Deployment Figure 4: The effective Web Services Management Platform combines centralized visibility and policy management with distributed active control of the enterprise service network.

The central policy and management server taps into this in-network fabric of control as previously described and as shown in Figure 4 immediately above.

The solution described above handles the three types of network change found on dynamic enterprise SOA networks: unexpected change to a service in the network, planned change to a service in the network and planned simultaneous change to many services in the network.

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