A general operational capability (e.g., a JISC production service); not a formal element of the e-Framework.

As used in the e-Framework, a resource characterised by the functionality (performance of tasks) it provides. To be used, a service must be implemented. A definition of function and scope is specified through statements of behaviour and data representation. A service is a type of resource.

For more information, see Services page.

A core e-Framework term referring to set faceted classification schemes applied to any elements of the e-Framework.

A core e-Framework term referring to an informal narrative and graphical description of a service genre or a service expression presented in a normative format. It documents all aspects and characteristics of the service genre or service expression. For clarity, the e-Framework uses the qualified terms: service genre description, service expression description, reference model description, service pattern description.

For more information, see the Service Usage Model page

A core e-Framework term referring to a specific set of functionality and behaviours described in terms on interfaces, messages, standards and technologies; a specialisation of a single service genre by specification of exact interfaces and standards used.

For more information, see the Service Expressions page.

A core e-Framework term referring to a machine-processible definition or specification of the interface to a service expression and the semantics of the service expression. It defines the message formats, datatypes, transport protocols, and transport serialisation formats that should be used between the requestor service implementation and the provider service implementation. Formats, datatypes, protocols, etc., should be based on defined standards and specifications. The service expression definition represents an agreement governing the mechanics of interacting with the service expression.

For more information, see the Service Expressions page.

A core e-Framework term referring to a generic or abstract capability expressed in terms of behaviours; the overall concept of a service without regard to how it is converted into an operational capability. A service genre is independent of specific interfaces, technologies and standards.

For more information, see the Service Genres page.

Operational code providing the complete functionality specified in a service expression definition; a component of the computational infrastructure that implements the functionality defined by a service expression; a computational resource.

Software specification used to guide development and programming of a service implementation, derived from a service expression description. The design is created by selecting and specialising elements from the service expression description, combined with design choices and the addition of constraints imposed by a particular community or by the technologies that will be used to implement and develop the service implementation.

A deployed service implementation; code bound to an identified network end point (e.g., a network address). The service implementation may also be bound to specific resources.

A software design methodology using networks of loosely-coupled, communicating services.

For more information, see Services page.

Software architecture for a service-oriented approach (soa) implemented using a particular technology, e.g., CORBA, Web Services. SOAs enable domain-oriented operations through message exchange within a network of services. Services and messages have platform-independent formal definitions, based on open standards. They define standard interfaces and protocols to encapsulate information tools as services that clients can access without knowledge or control of their inner workings. Note that soa is a generic concept. SOA is that concept implemented using a particular technology, typically Web Services.

For more information, see Services page.

A core e-Framework term referring to a reusable collection of service implementations designed to be used in any application or with any reference model.

A core e-Framework term referring to description of the needs, requirements, workflows, management policies and processes within a domain and the mapping of these to a design of a structured collection of service genres and service expressions, resources, associated standards, specifications, data formats, protocols, bindings, etc., that can be used to implement software applications within the domain.

For more information, see Service Usage Models (SUM) page.

The representation of a resource (attributes, values, properties) at some point in time.

An idealised model of the real world represented through resources, each of which has state.