Web Services Solution: Management in Action

The diagram below shows an example of a Web services solution in which a brokered interaction between a service consumer and service provider is taking place.

Web Services Solution 1: The service broker intermediates provider and consumer interactions as part of the overall Web services solution

In this example of a Web services solution, the service consumer transmits a message to a service broker URI (embedded in the service WSDL) representing the access point for the managed service. When the message arrives, the broker processes the message, applying the rules applicable to messages arriving on this access point. Here the set of actions taken include applying access control rules; gathering and sending statistics to the central management and policy server; and evaluating whether an alert should be triggered based on inspection of message content, processing context or performance statistics. For example, there may be a service level agreement in place guaranteeing service throughput, response time and uptime. Among many other things, the monitoring rules could compare current and cumulative service execution statistics and service availability, raising an alert if service performance is outside of SLA bounds. The message, once processed, is forwarded to the service provider, potentially over a different protocol and with a different security model and credentials.

This example showed a fairly "straight through" message processing configuration. The example in Figure 2 shows the ability of the broker to support the non-disruptive replacement of the application providing the service.

Web Services Solution 2: Non-disruptive application or service replacement. In-network rule execution makes change transparent to consumer applications.

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

This process continues for each new Web service project. Figure 3 shows the result of successive deployments as the service network grows. The result is a fabric of control woven into the enterprise service network.

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 in to this in-network fabric of control as previously described and as shown in Figure 4.

This solution provides a complete answer to the challenges faced in dealing with change in an enterprise service network – both unexpected and planned.

In this example, the scene has changed. The original service provider has been replaced with a new application providing a similar service but with a changed message schema. To facilitate non-disruptive change, the processing rules for messages arriving on this access point have been changed. In addition to the old processing rules (some removed from the picture for brevity), new rules transform the inbound message from the old schema to the new format recognized by the new application. The message is then routed to the new application.

Even if there are consumers statically bound to the old access point and even if they are extremely infrequent users of the service, they will continue to work as expected. To facilitate identifying and updating these consumers of the old service version, alerts can be configured and reports run detailing service utilization.

Without requiring a bit of change on the part of any service consumer (some of which may not even be under the control of the organization delivering the service), the service has been moved and the service contract changed without disrupting service network operation – no failed services, no downed applications and no ensuing costly ripple effects.

Web Services Solution 5: A Web services management platform automates reaction to unexpected service network problems and empowers IT to rapidly innovate without disruption.

Figure 5 shows the impact of change in a service network with a Web services management platform in place. The managed enterprise service network automates the ability to respond to and embrace the constant change (planned or unexpected) that characterizes the enterprise service network – without the skyrocketing costs previously accrued. The net result is a flattening of the cost curve representing the ongoing operating costs of an enterprise service network.

Web Services Solution for Management: Getting What You Expect

Those enterprises that deploy a Web services solution for management in support of their adoption of a service-oriented enterprise software architecture will get what they expect – movement toward operation as a real-time enterprise and an IT organization able to rapidly respond to and even enable changes in the operation of the business.

For More Information

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