Frequently Asked Questions

What is this course about? Modern software development paradigms include highly distributed applications that are implemented in Service Oriented Architectures, generally known as SOA. Rather than discrete, disparate programs, SOA combines these programs into interoperable systems that map directly to business processes. This course defines "service" and "architecture" and establishes a strong understanding of the concepts needed to have an effective working knowledge of SOA methodologies, modeling, design, implementation and architectural frameworks. What background do I need? A basic knowledge of computer system development concepts and experience working with some procedural or OO software development are helpful prerequisites, but are not required. General knowledge of the Internet, and XML is also useful, but not required. Prior experience with SOA or BPEL is not required. Who will benefit from this course? This is an introductory course, providing the foundation knowledge of SOAs and their modelling, design and implementation. Analysts, strategists, software architects or anyone involved in SOA projects will benefit greatly from the knowledge gained in this course. What is BPEL? BPEL stands for Business Process Execution Language and is an XML-based scripting technology for generating a visual representation and driving a business process. BPEL orchestrates services to produce an executable implementation of a business process. Does this course cover orchestration? Yes. Orchestration is the process of pulling services together to implement business processes. There are hands-on exercises in this course that demonstrate the orchestration process. How much of the course is devoted to hands-on exercises? 40% of the time in this course is spent doing hands-on exercises. The course incorporates both small-group discussions and computer-based exercises, including: Building a BPEL orchestration Deriving service candidates from a business process description Designing a Web service and building a WSDL service description All exercises reinforce the concepts of modeling, design, orchestration and implementation taught in the course. During the course, a working SOA case study is produced and then orchestrated by developing BPEL scripts. What tools does this course use? The course is tool-neutral and the concepts discussed can be implemented using any contemporary SOA toolset. Various representative tools are used. What is WSDL? WSDL stands for Web Services Description Language. WSDL provides the definition of the interface for a Web service and is one of the key components in enabling loose coupling. This course covers the process of describing Web services with WSDL. Composing of a service description and defining the interface are facets of WSDL that are covered in this course. How much time is spent on each topic? Content Hours Introduction to SOA 1.5 Dissecting SOA 2.5 Modelling SOA 3.0 Orchestrating with the BPEL 5.0 Implementing SOA 3.0 Trends and directions 1.0 Times, including the workshops, are estimates; exact times may vary according to the needs of each class. How does this course differ from Courses 577 and 508? Course 577, Building XML Web Services with Java: Hands-On, deals specifically with the development of Web services using Java, while Course 508, Building Web Services with .NET 2.0: Hands-On, deals specifically with the development of Web services using C# or VB 2005. Thus, both courses 577 and 508 are specifically intended for software developers using particular languages and neither course deals with scripting to orchestrate services and produce executable enterprise logic. Course 424, on the other hand, specifically deals with the orchestration of services using BPEL scripting as well as related methodology, design and implementation topics. It is intended for analysts, strategists and software architects dealing with the strategic implementation of business processes. In terms of the software development process, Course 424 focuses on the analysis and design of an SOA, while Course 577 and Course 508 focus on the implementation and testing of Web services. How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses? This course is part of the Software Engineering curriculum. Other courses in this curriculum that may be of interest include: 218, User and System Requirements for Successful Software Development  provides the skills needed to apply use cases to software development initiatives, model user interface, data and non-functional requirements, and employ advanced tactics suitable for complex and high-reliability systems. 342, Software Change, Configuration and Release Management  provides the knowledge and skills needed to deploy SCM patterns and activities supporting methodologies ranging from agile (XP, RUP, MSF) to those promoted by industry standards (ISO, CMMI, IEEE). Courses from other Learning Tree curricula that may be of interest include: 508, Building Web Services with .NET 2.0: Hands-On  provides the skills needed to build XML Web services and clients with .NET using Visual Basic 2005 and C#. 577, Building XML Web Services with Java: Hands-On  provides the skills needed to design and build Web services using Java. You develop services and clients using the latest standards-based technologies. 381, Business Process Re-engineering for Competitive Advantage  provides the critical knowledge and skills needed to implement BPR within an organisation. 542, XML: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction  provides hands-on experience developing Web applications using Extensible Markup Language (XML).