Top 10 ways to Fake your way to the SOA-XML bandwagon
As a SOA Architect, I certainly do not approve this. But here are the top 10 ways you can "Fake your way to the SOA-XML bandwagon. "
In some companies SOA has been oversold, or may be premature. For example, Security and Fine Grained Entitlements are so critical in some financial institutions, that without this piece in place, it may be premature to talk about SOA. Or may be the data still exists in silos, making it impossible to construct meaningful useful services, that address the immediate business needs of the organization.
But if you are under pressure to be supportive of SOA and XML, here are some ways.
10. We use ant based builds, and our build files are in XML. Therefore XML And SOA has penetrated our enterprise.
9. We use XML based configuration files for our application servers.
8. Some of our JMS messages are XML based, Others use Map Messages, but we could convert them to XML easily.
7. We are using industry standard canonical models, they are in XML. The canonical model covers only a small part of our business, but if a better canonical model for our particular industry, and for the way we do things was available we would use XML.
6. We have business rules engine package, and the rules are stored in XML
5. We have some reports generated in XML before they are converted to PDF automatically.
4. We have an ESB, and 2% of our messaging traffic, goes through the ESB.
3. 0.4 % of the traffic is in XML.
2. One application routes its messages dynamically in XML
1. We recently upgraded to Office 2007, so even when we write a Word document, we are using XML.
The last point about Office documents being in XML and therefore "SOA compliant" could perhaps be perspicacious and visionary rather than facetious and tongue-in-cheek.
Consider a law firm or a pharmaceutical research group, or a financial services companies- or even a transportation and logistics company, that gets all its customer/supplier documents in Office 2007 format- where does the knowledge critical to the business reside?
In another blog, I will try to show you how even if your enthusiasm for SOA is limited to potentially saving your Word 2007 document in XML form- you could still be moments away on the SOA bandwagon.
Comments
Kevin,
I love this list.
Of course extending point-1, EVERY IT-organization utilizes tools/solutions/software from vendors... most of whom claim some flavor of SOA in their solutions. So, we are ALL already drinking the SOA coolaid?!
I wish I were merely being cynical here but it just seem to a stretch-the-truth all of are willing to perpetuate.
Posted by: Mohan Babu K | August 20, 2008 04:00 AM
I like this article because it points out the desperation many people face in trying to 'get' SOA, as if SOA were only one idea or principle.
The terms SOA-XML are being abused as a 'litmus-test' for technology savvy.
This only highlights the vacuum of knowledge and the nature of a technical field where professionals are often working with new colleges, constantly under pressure to prove proficiency and manage reputations.
Posted by: Jordan W | August 27, 2008 05:14 AM