Subject: SUN's position re: W3C XP/SOAP and ebXML
Interesting e-mail from SUN regarding a possible convergence between W3C XP and ebXML. Dick Brooks Group 8760 110 12th Street North Birmingham, AL 35203 dick@8760.com 205-250-8053 Fax: 205-250-8057 http://www.8760.com/ InsideAgent - Empowering e-commerce solutions
From: xml-dist-app-request@w3.org on behalf of Anne Thomas Manes [atm@sun.com] Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 2:51 PM To: xml-dist-app@w3.org Subject: Sun position on SOAP and ebXML I thought you might appreciate this information on Sun's position on SOAP and ebXML. There was a question on the Apache SOAP distribution list regarding Sun's position on SOAP. I posted this response. It has since been posted to xml-dev, and someone recommended that I also send it to this list. >William Brogden asked: > >I would really hate to get caught up in the SUN - MicroSoft >power struggle by working with SOAP. Does anybody have any >inside information about SUN's intentions? For the record: - SOAP is not a factor in any "Sun/Microsoft power struggle". - Sun is not building an alternative to SOAP. Sun views SOAP as a useful, lightweight XML protocol. Sun recommends using SOAP where a lightweight XML protocol is appropriate. - Sun is currently not building a SOAP implementation because we don't think we need two different SOAP implementations for Java. Sun recommends using the Apache SOAP implementation, which is a very true implementation of the SOAP V1.1 specification. - Sun and iPlanet are adding support for SOAP in a number of products. For example iPlanet Integration Server (formally known as Forte Fusion) provides a SOAP adapter. - Sun is a member of the UDDI Working Group (see www.uddi.org), which is defining specifications for a Web Services registry. The UDDI V1 specification defines SOAP APIs. - Sun is actively participating in the W3C XML Protocol (XP) Working Group, which is defining a standard, extensible, XML protocol. (see http://www.w3.org/2000/xp/) The XP Working Group is using the SOAP 1.1 specification as a starting point. (Note that the final W3C XP Recommendation may very well be different from SOAP 1.1). - Sun is also engaged in other XML activities. In particular, Sun is a leading contributor to the Electronic Business XML (ebXML) initiative (see www.ebxml.org). ebXML is a joint initiative of UN/CEFACT (the United Nations standards body that created EDI) and OASIS. ebXML was established to develop an internationally-recognized standard technical framework for international trade. ebXML is defining specifications that will enable XML to be utilized in a consistent manner for the exchange of all electronic business data. A primary objective of ebXML is to lower the barrier of entry to electronic business in order to facilitate international trade, particularly with respect to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and developing nations. ebXML is being developed entirely in the public eye. The process is open to anyone who wants to participate. Currently there are more than 2000 companies, organizations, institutions, standards bodies, and individuals from all over the world participating in the effort. (see http://www.ebxml.org/participants/participants.htm) - ebXML does not compete with SOAP. ebXML is to SOAP as a car is to tires. ebXML defines a set of specifications that addresses the entire scope of business to business ecommerce (for example, how to establish a trade party agreement, or how to process a multi-currency transaction). SOAP defines a messaging protocol. ebXML focuses on a specific type of application (international trade). SOAP is a generic protocol that can be used for a wide variety of applications. ebXML is not likely to be used for device-to-device communications, yet SOAP is being used as the transport within UPnP. - ebXML provides provisions for specified levels of quality of service (QoS). You can certainly build a QoS-enabled international trade framework on top of SOAP, but the point is, you really only want to build that framework once, and then you want to get the international trade community to adopt it. ebXML is being developed by the international trade community. One project within ebXML is the Transport/Routing and Packaging (TRP) project. The ebXML TRP team has looked at SOAP V1.1 and determined that the specification does not support certain technical requirements. For example, ebXML has determined that business messages might need to contain XML fragments, complete XML documents, multiple documents, and/or non-XML data. SOAP V1.1 only transports XML fragments (including CDATA). Given that SOAP is not an internationally recognized official standard, and that it doesn't effectively support the ebXML technical requirements, ebXML TRP elected not to adopt SOAP, and it defined a different messaging protocol that used multipart MIME headers. The ebXML TRP protocol is similar to HP's SOAP Messages with Attachments specification (see http://msdn.microsoft.com/xml/general/soapattachspec.asp), which wasn't available when ebXML TRP was developing its spec. - Representatives from ebXML are participating in the W3C XP Working Group. There is a strong desire among many of the W3C XP participants to ensure convergence of W3C XP and ebXML TRP. In time this discussion will likely become moot. Regards, Anne Thomas Manes Director Market Innovation Sun Microsystems 617-497-1748
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