Jon Bosak (Sun): Service APIs, UDDI, SOAP, and ebXML

Ken Sall

December 11, 2000

Sun's old motto was "the network is the computer." Jon Bosak, one of the fathers of XML, said Sun now believes that computing is moving to a "service driven network", characterized by a service grid with service APIs between the business logic and client APIs. In this model, a service is something you send parameters to and receive a response in return. Examples of services include auctioning engines, a buy button on a web page, a sell button, the ordering system, etc. Services have different characteristics, will be largely XML and/or message based, can be dynamically located and loosely coupled.

HTTP has taught us that not all services need to be working 100% of the time to be useful. SOAP's simplicity is a real virtue since it doesn't demand security or reliability in some circumstances (e.g., stock quotes), but other services (e.g., trading services) do require secure and reliable interchange. Sometimes we do not need to know what happens behind the scenes of the message; we merely care about the result (e.g., an Advance Shipping Notice [ASN]).

Bosak said "Sun is thrilled" about UDDI, which is the entry point for advertising and finding net services. Sun is active in the W3C XML Protocol Working Group which has SOAP as a starting point. Bosak called ebXML the "most open effort [he has] ever seen". He painted this picture:

XML	UDDI	SOAP or XP	ebXML
syntax	list services: yellow, white, green pages	access to services	electronic services; message exchange

Why ebXML Rocks

According to the ebXML.org home page:

"ebXML is a set of specifications that together enable a modular electronic business framework. The vision of ebXML is to enable a global electronic marketplace where enterprises of any size and in any geographical location can meet and conduct business with each other through the exchange of XML based messages. ebXML is a joint initiative of the United Nations (UN/CEFACT) and OASIS, developed with global participation for global usage."

Bosak described ebXML as eventually providing standard message structures, defining business processes with clear business semantics, defining trading partner agreements, and enabling off the shelf business applications. Whereas EDI is for the Fortune 500 companies who can afford it, ebXML will eventually do all that EDI currently does and much more, permitting the other 98% of the world's smaller companies to enter the Global Electronic Marketplace. UN/CEFACT and OASIS have 1800 participants. ebXML is in the delivery stage, with specs, proofs of concept, and demos. He said, "ebXML is where it's happening" because the effort employs the right technology (HTTP, SMTP, XML, and UML), is at the right level of awareness (the UN) and has the right vendor support, such as IBM, Sun, Commerce One, and Ariba.

The ebXML effort is divided into a number of Project Teams: