Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) is an XML-based standard for composing WebServices to create processes. In the stack of WebServices standards it sits on top of WSDL, SOAP and XML Schema. WSDL documents of a WebService defines the execution and behavior–parameters, types, returns, error conditions, invocation etc. BPEL interconnects two or more WSDLs. BPEL as a standard defines the notation and semantics of composing two or more individual services in order to create a process.
Why a standard for composing WebService? Why not write a program in Java, C# to integrate two WebServices ?
The answer is loose-coupling–the same reason why we have WSDL for fine-grained services. Its abstraction. The loose-coupling allows for run time typing and invocation from the WSDL to the fine-grained service. Same holds true for modelling the integration of services using BPEL. BPEL proposes the notations as to how the individual services could be executed.
On a different note–While BPEL is being developed under OASIS, parallel efforts are underway:
Archive for July, 2004
BPEL: Composing WebServices
Friday, July 23rd, 2004J2SE5: Getting ready for the Tiger (Part II)
Sunday, July 18th, 2004Continuing (Part I) with the remaining features of Tiger release of J2SE:
- varargs–C-style argc, argv.No count though, argv is an implicit array when defined in the specified notation
- Concurrency–Semaphores, thread locks, thread safe queues, et al. Dijkstra would be pleased. But, Java took close to 10 years to have these constructs
- New Profiling API–Byte code instrumentation, native profiling
- Desktop Client–New Ocean theme
- java.xml–XML is now a core part of the standard edition
Grid Adoption on the rise?
Thursday, July 15th, 2004Read on if you believe the analysts…
Grid Computing Adoption Rises by 75% in Six Months; Huge Growth in Business Intelligence Mirrors Grid Computing Rise in Adoption.
Google acquires Picasa
Wednesday, July 14th, 2004Google Inc. today announced it acquired Picasa, Inc., a Pasadena, Calif.-based digital photo management company.
“Picasa enables users to easily manage and share digital photographs, and its technologies complement Google’s ongoing mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
Picasa was founded in October 2001. In May 2004, Picasa announced a technology partnership with Google’s Blogger service to make publishing digital photos with Blogger faster and easier. Further product integration plans have not been announced. Picasa users will not experience any interruption in service.
GGF vs. EGA
Wednesday, July 7th, 2004The Enterprise Grid Alliance was launched, with a strong focus on “Grid for the Enterprise”. Now, The GGF is focusing on the enterprise as well. The Twelfth Global Grid Forum has a plenary program with the theme of “Grids Deployed in the Enterprise”.
Now, It’s Grid Computing’s turn to go into war of words, standards, proposals for the same technology. Seen this before? Anybody?
J2SE5: Getting ready for the Tiger (Part I)
Saturday, July 3rd, 2004Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE) version 1.5 (“Tiger”) is the next major revision to the Java platform and language; it is currently slated to contain 15 component JSRs with nearly 100 other significant updates developed through the Java Community Process (JCP).
New features:
- Metadata–Annotation along side the classes, metadata within a class to generate helper files, documentation, deployment descriptors and even java code!
- Generic Types– The Collection API can now hold non-Object objects.Anybody remembers templates in MFC?
- Autoboxing and Auto-Unboxing of Primitive Types–Automatic conversion of primitive types to their object counterparts. Less coding!
- Enumerated Types–public enum Fruit { mango, apple, orange }; 🙂
- Static Import–Import static constants without inheriting
Rest of the features in Part II of this entry.
Kitty Hawk: SOA takes-off
Thursday, July 1st, 2004Sun announces a new initiative to help people buy into Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA).
Find, assemble and deliver applications based on a services-oriented architecture using Java Web services. As part of Kitty Hawk, Java Enterprise System is intended to simplify administration, management, security, and provisioning of services in an SOA. For example, a Java Enterprise System registry will provide centralized control of services, versioning, metadata management, services registration, and lookup, according to Sun.
Featured components in Java Enterprise System are identity services, Web and application services, portal, communication and collaboration, availability services, and security.