By Simon Johnston, Architect, IBM © Copyright 2004 by IBM Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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Abstract

This paper describes the Unified Modeling Language (UML) Profile for Software Services, a profile for UML 2.0 which allows for the modeling of services, SOA, and service-oriented solutions. The aim of the profile is to provide a common language for describing services that covers a number of activities through the development lifecycle and also provides views to different stakeholders. So, for example, the profile provides capabilities for the architect to map out services early in the lifecycle using logical partitions to describe the entire enterprise-wide service portfolio. This view is further detailed by designers who develop the structural and behavioral service specifications that act as the contracts between the service clients and implementers. The message view provides the ability for designers to reuse information models for common service-data definitions.