SOA for services or UML for objects: Reconciliation of the battle of giants with Object-Process Methodology

Abstract

Two software system lifecycle development paradigms have been competing on the minds and hearts of software developers and executives: The traditional Object-Oriented approach and the emerging Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) or SO Development of Application (SODA). While OO puts objects and their encapsulated behavior at the center stage, emphasizing primarily rigid structure, SODA hails services as the prime players to cater primarily to behavior. We discuss the new SOA technologies from the extended enterprise and the service network all the way to the atomic service level and show that Object- Process Methodology (OPM), which strikes a unique balance between structure and behavior, is most suitable as the underlying SOA-based lifecycle engineering approach. Using OPCAT, the OPMsupporting systems modeling software environment, we construct the top level diagram of a model of SODA and simulate it using animation in order to show how OPM conveniently serves as an ideal overarching comprehensive methodology that encompasses the entire spectrum of service-oriented enterprise systems development.