Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)

SOA and microservices follow similar concepts. In the Chapter 1, Demystifying Microservices, we saw that microservices are evolved from SOA and many service characteristics are common in both approaches.

However, are they the same or are they different?

Since microservices are evolved from SOA, many characteristics of microservices are similar to SOA. Let's first examine the definition of SOA.

Note

The Open Group definition of SOA (http://www.opengroup.org/soa/source-book/soa/p1.htm) is as follows:

SOA is an architectural style that supports service-orientation. Service-orientation is a way of thinking in terms of services and service-based development and the outcomes of services.

A service:

• Is a logical representation of a repeatable business activity that has a specified outcome (e.g., check customer credit, provide weather data, consolidate drilling reports)
• Is self-contained
• May be composed of other services
• Is a “black box” to consumers of the service...