To implement a Service requires a Service
Specification – a set of documents that
provides a ‘blueprint’ for building the service. This document set would comprises, at a
minimum:
- A narrative description of the component and its role in the framework
- A set of Interface definitions, or references to relevant specification
- A set of Data Type definitions, or references to relevant specifications
- A binding to the implementation technology
Examples of bindings include java interfaces
and classes for J2EE, COM interfaces and
classes for .net, and WSDL interfaces and XML Schemas for a web services
implementation. A service specification may not necessarily cover all of these bindings.
In cases where no service specification
currently exists, implementers may choose to
develop and publish a service specification themselves. We recommend that JISC
provides a suitable structure for publishing and sharing service specifications.
