Why web services?
Web services are how enterprise applications connect. With web services, you define service interfaces in terms of XML message exchanges. Clients and servers can use any programming language and platform they choose, as long as they follow the rules of the the exchange. When something goes wrong, you can determine which side is at fault by monitoring the message exchange and validating the messages.
But working with enterprise web services is not always easy. At the architecture and design level, message and service interface definitions need to be structured for compatibility and efficiency. At the implementation level, the software stacks supplying the XML "plumbing" between client and server offer a bewildering variety of options. Choices between implementation techniques can have major impact on both the ease of development and performance of your applications.
Security adds even more complexity to the picture. The online world presents an ever-increasing number of threats to communications security. Your security architecture needs to provide all necessary access control and data protection without adding excessive processing overhead or latency to heavily-used services. Choices range from simple options like TLS/SSL to the complexity of WS-Security, WS-Trust, and more, with the best choice for any particular use case determined by the specific requirements.
We can help!
Need help with web services? You've come to the right place! Sosnoski Software Associates are expert consultants on exterprise web services, including both the ever-growing jungle of XML and WS-* technologies and the specific standards (including JAXB, JAX-WS, and JAX-RS) and software stacks used for Java™ application development. We are active participants in the development of the industry-leading Apache CXF web services stack, and can support your own work using CXF with consulting, mentoring, and training services. Whether you're working with an existing service interface, defining your own interface for use by business partners, or converting your entire enterprise to a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) approach, we can ease your way and help you avoid problems and delays in getting your applications into production use.