This meeting marked the first three months of operation
of the SOA Working Group. During that time, the Group had established itself as an effective body, working
through email and teleconferences.
The purpose of the meeting
was to enable the Group to
review progress on initial deliverables,
and to look forward to setting its activities for the longer term.
In particular, the meeting received a presentation on a Services Integration Maturity Model, whose standardization
could be a future work item.
The SOA Working Group has three initial Work Areas:
- Definition of SOA
- Case studies illustrating the value of SOA
- Analysis of the unique value that The Open Group can bring to SOA
These initial work items will help to establish the
long-term work program of the group. Indeed, the third of them
(Value of The Open Group) is very much a short-term item,
that is needed primarily as a basis for establishing the
Work Program.
There had been progress in all three areas prior to the meeting.
Areas 1 and 3 continued that progress with breakout meetings
during the Barcelona conference.
SOA modeling is important from several perspectives.
A model for SOA will be a key part of the definition
of SOA. A technical reference model for SOA could be used
in conjunction with the TOGAF Architecture Development Method.
It is crucial that SOA modeling should not be restricted to
software, but should also encompass the business
dimension.
OASIS is developing a reference model for SOA. This is at a very high, abstract level. The Group could use it as a vocabulary and
framework for development of more detailed models.
Claudio Cozzi presented a Services Integration Maturity Model
that had been developed by IBM. This is not a model of SOA architecture or implementation. Rather, it is an assessment
tool that enables an enterprise to understand what stage it
has reached in the implementation of SOA,
what further stages it might be appropriate to aim for,
and how it can work to reach those stages.
The Group agreed that this is a valid approach and, in outline,
an excellent model, though some of its detail should be discussed
and refined. In particular, any reference to specific technologies
(and ESB was classified as such) should be replaced by references
to general mechanisms.
No specific decisions were taken on the work program during
the meeting; this would have been premature. The SOA Working Group
will continue its work and develop its
long-term program through email and teleconferences.
The three initial Work Areas will complete
their deliverables.
The Group as a whole will develop its forward work program.
Standardization of a Services Integration Maturity Model,
based on the one presented by IBM, will be considered as a
possible specific work item in that program.
The Group will review the OASIS draft SOA Reference Model as
a vocabulary and framework for any work it may undertake
to model SOA.
