Service-oriented architectureis a technology architectural model for service-oriented solutions with distinct characteristics in support of realizing service-orientation and the strategic goals associated with service-oriented computing. 

As a form of technology architecture, an SOA implementation can consist of a combination of technologies, products, APIs, supporting infrastructure extensions, and various other parts. The actual complexion of a deployed service-oriented architecture is unique within each enterprise; however, it is typified by the introduction of new technologies and platforms that specifically support the creation, execution, and evolution of service-oriented solutions. As a result, building a technology architecture around the service-oriented architectural model establishes an environment suitable for solution logic that has been designed in compliance with service-orientation design principles.

To understand SOA it helps to clearly establish how it relates to other terms:

• There is a set of strategic goals associated with service-oriented computing.
• These goals represent a specific target state.
• Service-orientation is the paradigm provides a proven method for achieving this target state.
• When we apply service-orientation to the design of software, we build units of logic called “services”.
• Service-oriented solutions are comprised of one or more services.
• To build successful service-oriented solutions, we need a distributed technology architecture with specific characteristics
• These characteristics distinguish the technology architecture as being service-oriented. This is SOA.

Historically, the term "service-oriented architecture" (or "SOA") has been used so broadly by the media and within vendor marketing literature that it has almost become synonymous with service-oriented computing itself. For this reason, the SOA Manifesto was released.

For more information, visit www.whatissoa.com.

See also:

- service

- service composition

- service inventory

- service-orientation

- service-oriented computing

- service-oriented solution logic

- SOA Manifesto