SOA makes integration between applications easier. Moreover, it can be a differentiator for using cloud solutions. In practice, these are aligned with the new work formats, such as home office and hybrid work

Service-oriented architecture, known as SOA, is not a new type of technology or method adopted by companies. Instead, it is an IT architecture concept designed to make integration between applications easier. In practice, those applications are usually delivered as services. Moreover, they can be shared and adopted in distributed environments, such as home office or hybrid work.

In practice, the goal of this approach is to bring agility and flexibility. It also reduces costs for companies that adopt it in their systems, making IT a more strategic and effective area. However, to better understand the purposes and benefits of SOA, we need to go back in time a little.

Before and after SOA

A few years ago, integrating systems required a custom connection between devices and IT components, known as point-to-point (P2P) integration. It was complex, difficult, and error-prone work: every application infrastructure update or new project required modifying it.

With SOA, developers’ lives became easier, thanks to the use of standard protocols for integrating applications or services. In daily operations, the so-called ESB (Enterprise Service Bus) is used, making service interfaces accessible to the client. In short, it is a type of service bus designed to simplify this integration. As a result, it ensures the availability of services, systems, and processes.

Likewise, put simply, SOA simplified the life of the technical IT team. At the same time, it enabled the delivery of distributed services for companies, without the need for constant investments. For this reason, service-oriented architecture became a goal for many organizations. Above all, new demands emerged following the pandemic.

What are the characteristics of SOA and how do you implement it?

After understanding what SOA is and why it matters, let us talk about some of its main characteristics. Many users rely on solutions and services related to SOA without knowing anything about the topic. In fact, that is precisely one of its main characteristics. In other words, people know the services are used, but not how they are executed.

Meanwhile, here are other attributes:

Loose coupling and service composition – The idea is to give maximum independence to the systems that make up SOA. This kind of care ensures that technical teams can perform maintenance and updates without interrupting delivery. In addition, it minimizes failures. As a result, this set of services can form new, more complete composite applications.

In short, reusability – As we said, SOA uses standard protocols to integrate services and systems. Therefore, one of its conveniences is the ability to reuse its architecture for other applications or processes. Success in this strategy results in time savings and better asset support.

After all, clear standards – As mentioned before, the ESB is based on widespread, well-known market communication protocols. For example: SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) and WSDL (Web Services Definition Language).

In addition, independent requests – Each request made by an application is an independent transaction that does not consider previous requests. Consequently, no information is retained.

In practice, interoperability – The same services can be offered to different systems, regardless of platform and technology. However, they must follow the standard communication protocols.

How to organize the SOA architecture?

SOA affects both customers and internal audiences. Therefore, its implementation must be designed in different layers, covering:

Likewise, client interface – These are the interactions of those who will actually use the solution. In practice, that means an end customer or an employee. The friendlier, the better, since user experience matters!

As a result, services and processes – Within a catalog, the company can choose systems, applications, and solutions. In addition, it considers the processes required to reach that result.

Meanwhile, service components – Here, the focus is on building functional and technical libraries. These libraries can serve as references for developing new applications or remodeling them. In short, they support the organization’s short-, medium-, and long-term projects.

Operating systems – It is common for the solutions adopted by organizations to have their own operating systems. Therefore, integrations are sometimes required to make their management simpler. Moreover, it is important to include each company’s data and manage it properly and securely.

The advantages of SOA

In short, these characteristics and the necessary organization must be followed. As a result, companies usually enjoy the following advantages from a successful SOA implementation:

After all, flexibility and autonomy – You gain agility to create and develop new applications. In addition, the modules are independent and can take on new functions or specific purposes. Another convenience is adding new features thanks to the SOA structure.

In addition, better use of IT infrastructure – The chance of reusing existing assets increases, which reduces costs. As a result, there is more agility and efficiency for the modifications and evolutions needed in a competitive segment.

In practice, availability and reliability – The independence between services makes maintenance and updates possible. Meanwhile, the solutions keep running.

Cost reduction – IT costs go down as a result of the items mentioned just above: asset reuse and reliability.

Therefore, scalability – Communication standards allow services and solutions to grow according to demand — both up and down.

Likewise, productivity and quality – The IT team can focus on more strategic activities. In addition, the smooth operation of systems and solutions gives employees peace of mind. As a result, devices stay uniform and processes stay fluid.

As a result, the SOA design makes it easier for businesses to transition to new technologies in daily operations. For example: the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and analytics. In short, these are among other demands brought by the business world. This decentralized vision provided by service-oriented architecture makes this technological evolution simpler and more effective, with fewer resources required.

What is the difference between SOA and microservices?

Many people confuse SOA with microservices. While SOA is an IT architecture, microservices are a software development approach in which small services communicate with each other. In SOA, this standard is more centralized, developing patterns around a technology platform.

In short, with microservices, each one has a separate code base, which makes administration simple, even for small teams. As a parallel, we can say that microservices are like different modules, making development, testing, updating, and deployment easier.

After all, since they are distinct modules, microservices can be deployed independently. Data and information are restricted to each of them, with communication via API.

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