What is Web Services

• Web services convert the applications into Web format, are published  can be used by authorized applications.
• Web services are can be used across any platform and programing langauge. For example, Java can talk with Perl, Windowsapplications cancommunicate with UNIX applications.

• Web Services are developed to enable interaction between two different platforms.  It processes the real time data very fast with accuracy.

How it works:

Web services works based on 4 elements

• XML
• SOAP
• UDDI
• WSDL

XML is used to tag (covert data into XML format <city>Bangalore</city>) the data.
SOAP is used to transfer the data.
WSDL is used for describing the services available .
UDDI is used for listing what services are available

1. A service provider describes its service using WSDL. This definition is published to a directory of services. The directory could use Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI). Other forms of directories can also be used.
 

2. A service consumer issues one or more queries to the directory to locate a service and determine how to communicate with that service.
 

3. Part of the WSDL provided by the service provider is passed to the service consumer. This tells the service consumer what the requests and responses are for the service provider.

4. The service consumer uses the WSDL to send a request to the service provider.

5. The service provider provides the expected response to the service consumer.