Important aspects of SOA architecture (for the cloud)
5th Oct 2016
Important aspects of SOA architecture (for the cloud)
There's absolutely no question about it, both cloud computing and Service Oriented Architectures are going to continue to rise in popularity and use in the coming years. Multitudes of IT departments in businesses and government agencies across the globe have already begun to embrace both technologies (cloud computing and SOA) and as a result, have been able to both cut costs and make their operations much more efficient. Despite the fact that these technologies are becoming much more widespread in use, they have yet to fully merge with one another in any comprehensive manner. This is strange because both SOA and cloud computing seem to be servicing many of the same groups and utilize computing strategies that rely heavily on automation.
Cloud computing in particular, could gain quite a few more followers if its providers were to implement SOA technology into their offered service packages. The simple fact of the matter is that cloud computing cannot replace the services offered by a SOA; these specialized architectures are however, more than capable of being implemented into a larger framework. The size and scope of cloud computing continues to grow and assimilate components. The force that seems to be driving cloud development is none other than IT; the demands and concerns of departments across multiple continents are shaping future developments in cloud technology. This is largely due to the fact that more and more individuals in management positions are coming to view IT as a commodity in and of itself; this of course has lead to even more scrutiny concerning annual IT expenditures. The upside of this trend is that it has led to an even greater push toward cloud computing and its promise of cost effectiveness; this in turn, has put even more emphasis on the development of additional cloud-based technologies.
So how does this tie-in with Service Oriented Architectures you ask? SOA's are becoming increasingly commonplace in almost every sector of the market, from healthcare to retail to financial institutions. At some point in the near future, experts have predicted a significant merge will occur between SOA and cloud computing. Most medium to large sized businesses already employ some kind of logic flow based SOA. This SOA either assists in operations and analysis, or provides around the clock, point-of-sale customer access to their products and/or services. Implementing cloud computing is simply the next logical step on the technology implementation ladder, so to speak.
Aspects of SOA Architecture
SOA and cloud computing also overlap one another in several key areas. Most obviously, both implementations are, from the user perspective, software-based services. Of course cloud computing is much broader, including the use of multiple hardware, software and virtualization systems. SOA is more or less strictly a software service, and exists to perform functions on an existing computing platform. However, it should be noted that both (cloud computing and SOA's) are entirely dependent on networking and essentially exist to provide a connection between producers and consumers.
There's absolutely no question about it, both cloud computing and Service Oriented Architectures are going to continue to rise in popularity and use in the coming years. Multitudes of IT departments in businesses and government agencies across the globe have already begun to embrace both technologies (cloud computing and SOA) and as a result, have been able to both cut costs and make their operations much more efficient. Despite the fact that these technologies are becoming much more widespread in use, they have yet to fully merge with one another in any comprehensive manner. This is strange because both SOA and cloud computing seem to be servicing many of the same groups and utilize computing strategies that rely heavily on automation.
Cloud computing in particular, could gain quite a few more followers if its providers were to implement SOA technology into their offered service packages. The simple fact of the matter is that cloud computing cannot replace the services offered by a SOA; these specialized architectures are however, more than capable of being implemented into a larger framework. The size and scope of cloud computing continues to grow and assimilate components. The force that seems to be driving cloud development is none other than IT; the demands and concerns of departments across multiple continents are shaping future developments in cloud technology. This is largely due to the fact that more and more individuals in management positions are coming to view IT as a commodity in and of itself; this of course has lead to even more scrutiny concerning annual IT expenditures. The upside of this trend is that it has led to an even greater push toward cloud computing and its promise of cost effectiveness; this in turn, has put even more emphasis on the development of additional cloud-based technologies.
So how does this tie-in with Service Oriented Architectures you ask? SOA's are becoming increasingly commonplace in almost every sector of the market, from healthcare to retail to financial institutions. At some point in the near future, experts have predicted a significant merge will occur between SOA and cloud computing. Most medium to large sized businesses already employ some kind of logic flow based SOA. This SOA either assists in operations and analysis, or provides around the clock, point-of-sale customer access to their products and/or services. Implementing cloud computing is simply the next logical step on the technology implementation ladder, so to speak.
Aspects of SOA Architecture
- Reusability - A business or development group has the capability to offer components of a SOA to other departments inside or outside of the organization itself. This also allows one to establish various services based on use of individual modules, alone or in combination. Additionally, these customized services / components can be farmed out to other sections of the business itself for various purposes.
- Unbiased integration - One of the superior characteristics which define SOA is the utilization of an unbiased programming language. This allows multiple systems to reposition and realign entire elements of an SOA for various uses as is necessary. Try to keep in mind, integration is not an option for any company, it is an eventuality. Every organization will, at some point, be faced with the reality that a major integration procedure must be undertaken.
- Complimenting present structures -Many organizations often lament the frustration of not being able to integrate components from their older systems to their newer ones. By the same token, older systems that cannot be replaced are often incompatible with newer ones. This of course leads to a breakdown in the IT infrastructure of a business; luckily, SOA might be able to build a bridge between these structures. So not only does the company implementing a SOA have a present method for dealing with incompatibility issues, but they also have a ironclad system for dealing with future issues as well.
- Systematic dexterity - The modularized design of SOA makes it possible to quickly reorganize entire elements of a logic/work flow and repurpose them for any number of possible applications. The individual components of a SOA could be likened to a set of building blocks (like those that a small child might play with) which can be used for any number of purposes. The only limitation is in your application of creative concept(s).
SOA and cloud computing also overlap one another in several key areas. Most obviously, both implementations are, from the user perspective, software-based services. Of course cloud computing is much broader, including the use of multiple hardware, software and virtualization systems. SOA is more or less strictly a software service, and exists to perform functions on an existing computing platform. However, it should be noted that both (cloud computing and SOA's) are entirely dependent on networking and essentially exist to provide a connection between producers and consumers.
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