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Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an architectural approach aimed at structuring software applications through the provision of services. These services are loosely coupled and can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. SOA promotes the reuse of software components and enables flexible integration of various systems.
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Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) structures enterprise software as business-oriented, loosely coupled services accessed through explicit contracts.
SOA emerged in response to heterogeneous enterprise systems and the need to expose reusable business capabilities across organizational and technology boundaries. The OASIS Reference Model describes service roles, visibility, interaction, and effect without prescribing a particular technology.
A service encapsulates a capability and publishes a contract; consumers depend on that contract rather than implementation. Governance for ownership, data, versions, and security keeps the service landscape manageable. SOA can use synchronous APIs, messaging, and centralized integration components, so it is an architectural approach rather than a single platform.
A service exposes a bounded function that creates value for its consumers.
The contract defines visibility, messages, behavior, and usage prerequisites.
Ownership, versioning, security, and lifecycle standards limit uncontrolled coupling.
SOA supports integration and reuse across large, heterogeneous landscapes. It guarantees neither independence nor microservices: granularity, governance, and integration infrastructure determine the outcome.
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