Managing a RESTful SOA: Providing guidance for service designers and orientation for service consumers

Abstract Managing a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) requires a well-defined model of what a service actually is, and a structure within which services can be published, documented, and consumed. Without such a definition and organizational structure, it is hard to reap the benefits of a SOA. This paper presents a case study that is closely aligned with how the Web is organized as a SOA, but adds some structure so that service producers and service consumers can be supported in their goals. Using this approach, it is possible to realize the architectural benefits of a RESTful architecture, but can still make sure that the published services follow a set of guidelines and constraints that the SOA is based on.