MS2Web: Applying MDA and SOA to Web Services

Summary

Service-oriented architectures (SOA) are touted as the key to business agility, especially when combined with a model-driven approach. Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) is a well-developed concept that fits well with web services, but until now it has been a specialized technique that is beyond practical application scope of most enterprises.

In this paper, we describe the initial investigation in the fields of applying MDA and generative SOA to web services (MS2Web). Our view is that MDA aims at providing a precise framework for generative web service software production. We propose here an initial exploration of some basic artifacts of the MDA and SOA space to web services. Because all these artifacts may be considered as assets for the organization where the MDA is being deployed with SOA, we are going to talk about MDA and SOA abstract components to apply web service business applications. We also discuss the key characteristics of the two modeling architectures, focusing on the classification of models that is embodied by each for web services. The flow of modeling activity is discussed in the two architectures together with a discussion of the support for the modeling flows provided by MDA. We also describe a modeling of case study for web services with two architectures. Our model of the framework — a combined modeling architecture — is introduced which illustrates how the two architectures can be brought together into a synergistic whole, each reinforcing the benefits of the other with case study.