Service-oriented computing views components as services that can integrate distributed data and computing resources over the network. Service-oriented Architecture (SOA) is a natural combination to enable seamless and dynamic data and system integration, as both data and functional components are provided in the form of Web services. SOA technology is designed to improve interoperability and enable seamless integration between the many diverse applications and development platforms [1].
What is SOA?
In the SOA paradigm, Web services are described by Web Services Description Language (WSDL), discovered through Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) service registry, and communicated by the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) [2][3][4][5]. Following the recent termination of UDDI registry services originally offered by Microsoft, IBM, and OASIS, SOA has been incomplete [6]. Foster indicated that "[Web] services have little value if others cannot discover, access, and make sense of them" [7]. Without the support of a Web service architecture, especially the service registry, Web services are devaluated because available components are difficult to locate and understand. Architecture design is thus an important, significant, and urging theme in the development of service-oriented cyberinfrastructure. This is especially true in the GIScience community, because GIScience use cases and spatial functions are much more complex than the simple business transaction models.
The renovated architecture design must target the SOA as a whole system, rather than manipulate the individual components separately. The renovated architecture should support the realization of comprehensive goals of Semantic Web Services, including automatic and dynamic service discovery, matchmaking, composition and invocation, and should have cybernetic control mechanisms to operate the system as an ordered self-organization. This workshop will have long term impact on GIScience research and future applications by exploring the mechanisms of system functions, communications, and interactions of all relevant components of geospatial semantic Web services.
Reference for discussion: The Challenge of Semantic Web Services
Intended workshop audience
This workshop will interest both those interested in designing the next generation of SOA and those who hope to deploy services over the Web using SOA. The audience also will include SOA researchers and designers from outside GIScience (e.g. business applications) who can make a contribution to GIScience.
Workshop topics
Expected topics for this workshop include, but not are limited to, the following themes that are relevant to the architecture design and implementable in the system operation process. A fundamental question is how the renovated architecture will enable the realization of Semantic Web Services while the architecture operates as an ordered self-organization through such thematic research.
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Goals and expected outcomes
The goal of this workshop is to help researchers and developers in the GIScience community and policy makers in NSF/OCI understand and explore the complex mechanisms of system functions, communications, and interactions of varied components participating in geospatial SOA from a systematic perspective. As an open, complex and huge system, geospatial SOA will embrace the participation of scientists from varied domains to share their data and computing resources upon a common cyberinfrastructure. How to maintain and manage SOA into an ordered self-organization is important so as to avoid the failure of the old SOA after the termination of UDDI. Expected outcomes of this workshop will improve the design, development, implementation, operation, maintenance, and standards for SOA for GIScience.
Call for Abstracts
The Workshop will feature three categories of presentations: oral, poster, and demo. Abstracts of 1000-2000 words should be sent by May 31, 2008 to the two contacts below. Please indicate your preference for oral, poster, or demo format. Demos represent a unique opportunity to show service interoperability in practice. Notifications will be sent out by July 15.
Workshop organizers
Xuan Shi. Center for GIS, Georgia Institute of Technology. Interest: distributed GIS, Internet computing, semantic Web services, system research, cognitive psychology. Email: xuan.shi@coa.gatech.edu
Robert Raskin. JPL/NASA. California Institute of Technology. Interest: Cyberinfrastructure, semantic interoperability. Email: raskin@jpl.nasa.gov
References:
[1] Hamid R. Motahari Nezhad, Boualem Benatallah, Fabio Casati, Farouk Toumani, "Web Services Interoperability Specifications," Computer, vol. 39, no. 5, pp. 24-32, May, 2006
[2] Francisco Curbera, Matthew Duftler, Rania Khalaf, William Nagy, Nirmal Mukhi, Sanjiva Weerawarana, "Unraveling the Web Services Web: An Introduction to SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI," IEEE Internet Computing, vol. 06, no. 2, pp. 86-93, Mar/Apr, 2002
[3] Neal Leavitt, "Are Web Services Finally Ready to Deliver?," Computer, vol. 37, no. 11, pp. 14-18, Nov., 2004
[4] Roy, J. Ramanujan, A. "Understanding Web Services," IT Professional, vol. 03, no. 6, pp. 69-73, Nov/Dec, 2001
[5] Werner Vogels, "Web Services Are Not Distributed Objects," IEEE Internet Computing, vol. 07, no. 6, pp. 59-66, Nov/Dec, 2003
[6] Microsoft. 2006. UBR Shutdown FAQ. http://uddi.microsoft.com/about/FAQshutdown.htm
[7] Foster, I. "Service-Oriented Science". Science 6 May 2005: Vol. 308. no. 5723, pp. 814 - 817.
