Java web services and SOA

Loosely coupled, modular applications are easier to maintain and upgrade than large intertangled legacy applications. Service-oriented architecture (SOA) provides a set of principles or governing concepts that help enterprise architects build better, less expensive applications. Taking an SOA approach means more than just building a lot of Java Web services. Solid SOA services are highly modular, with very few (if any) dependencies, and lend themselves directly to reuse. Still, the integration of services and existing application architecture into a cohesive Web services architecture can be very challenging. Enterprise architects may do well to consider adopting not only SOA service standards, but also SOA frameworks and/or Web services frameworks.

Top Stories

Answer 10 Mar 2021
Synchronous vs. asynchronous microservices communication patterns

What's the difference between synchronous, asynchronous and hybrid communication for microservices? Follow the examples below to establish how microservices communicate. Continue Reading
Answer 08 Mar 2021
How do microservices API gateways aid monolith migrations?

How do you move a set of REST resources to microservices? One way is to use an API gateway. Follow this example to learn how migrate to microservices-oriented architecture. Continue Reading

Answer 26 Feb 2021

Should my company move its apps to microservices?

Microservices-oriented architecture is more flexible than monolithic structures, but microservices comes with costs companies need to weigh against the potential benefits. Continue Reading
Answer 19 Feb 2021

What are some of the disadvantages of microservices?

Microservice-oriented architecture has its benefits, but it comes with some drawbacks as well, such as data translation and debugging. Let's go over the big four. Continue Reading
Answer 18 Feb 2021

Your near-zero downtime microservices migration pattern

The possibility of extended downtime is a common reason to avoid a migration to microservices. Learn how to minimize downtime with this monolith-to-microservices migration pattern. Continue Reading
Answer 23 Dec 2020

What makes an effective microservices logging strategy?

System size and scale play a big role in microservices logging. Follow these best practices to develop a solid logging strategy within a microservices architecture. Continue Reading
Answer 22 Dec 2020

How is asynchronous microservices tracing best accomplished?

How can you trace a tricky workflow in an asynchronous microservices-oriented architecture? Two options include correlation IDs and distributed tracing tools. Continue Reading
Answer 25 Nov 2020

What are some benefits of a microservices architecture?

Enterprises can expect a variety of benefits when they transition to a microservices-oriented application architecture. Here we take a look at the four most beneficial. Continue Reading
Answer 18 Nov 2020

What are the most essential microservice design principles?

Don't hinder a microservices architecture because of a faulty design. Keep these five design principles in mind to build the proper components for your microservices architecture. Continue Reading
Quiz 17 Nov 2020

10 microservices quiz questions to test your knowledge

Don't sweat the details with microservices. Take this 10-question quiz to boost your microservices knowledge and impress interviewers during a job hunt. Continue Reading
Feature 28 Jul 2020

Reduced cost, responsive apps from micro front-end architecture

Micro front-end development has grown in prominence though has not yet found its footing in the enterprise. Learn more about micro front ends and consider some potential pros and cons. Continue Reading
Opinion 08 Feb 2019

RESTful parameters antipattern considerations for queries, paths

Choose carefully for path and query parameters in URL design. Lackluster choices in the design phase can plague client resource access down the road. Continue Reading
Video 01 Jan 2019

Step-by-step RESTful web service example in Java using Eclipse and TomEE Plus

In this easy-to-follow JAX-RS tutorial, we provide a RESTful web service example in Java using Eclipse and TomEE Plus, where we go from development to testing in less than 15 minutes. Continue Reading
Feature 28 Dec 2018

Java developer tutorials a popular destination for 2018 readers

What were readers interested in during 2018? Java developer tutorials topped the list. Learn how to integrate RESTful APIs, GIT, and Jenkins CI tools. Continue Reading
Video 06 Aug 2018

Step-by-step SOAP web services example in Java using Eclipse

There was a time when creating a SOAP web service was an arduous task. In this step-by-step SOAP web services example in Java using Eclipse, let's show how times have changed. Continue Reading
Video 26 Jul 2018

Step-by-step Spring Boot RESTful web services example in Java using STS

In a previous tutorial, we explained the basic tenets of good RESTful web service design. In this step-by-step Spring Boot restful web services example, we implement it. Continue Reading
Video 20 Jul 2018

IoC example in Spring: Inversion of control explained clearly and quickly

All enterprise development frameworks are built around inversion of control. This IoC example demonstrates how it manifests itself in frameworks like Spring and Jakarta EE. Continue Reading
Video 07 Jul 2018

RESTful APIs tutorial: Learn key web service design principles

RESTful Java API designs shouldn't be hard to get right. This RESTful APIs tutorial shows core RESTful principles concerning URL structure and the effective use of HTTP methods. Continue Reading
Blog Post 08 Jun 2018

SOAP web services bottom-up approach example in Java using Eclipse

It's easy to create a web service from a JavaBean. This SOAP web services bottom-up approach example in Java using Eclipse and Apache Axis will prove it. Continue Reading
Blog Post 01 Jun 2018

Top-down web service creation example in Java using Eclipse

Creating a SOAP web service in Eclipse is easy if you have a WSDL file. This top-down web service approach example in Java using Eclipse tutorial shows how. Continue Reading
Blog Post 27 Nov 2017

MVC 1.0: The perfect fit for microservice admin tools

The following is a transcript of the conversation TheServerSide's Cameron McKenzie had with Ivar Grimstad out hot topics in the Java ecosystem, with an emphasis on MVC 1.0 and the new security ... Continue Reading
Blog Post 22 Nov 2017

Twelve ways to be a more trustworthy serverless services vendor

Serverless services may be the big trend in IT these days, but it's still a service-full world out there, and virtually every organization is relying on third party services to keep their ... Continue Reading
Podcast 06 Sep 2017

Cloud-native tooling for managing loosely coupled systems evolving

How does an organization manage loosely coupled systems built with containers and microservices? Apprenda's Sinclair Schuller discusses how tools are evolving. Continue Reading
Feature 17 Apr 2017

Tips for avoiding external and internal API performance issues

After convincing users to integrate into your system, the last thing you want is for them to suffer from API performance issues. Ensure users that API performance isn't a problem. Continue Reading
Opinion 24 Mar 2017

Does reading XML while writing JSON make me a bad person?

I'm always writing JSON code, loving its flexibility and forgiveness. But when I call an external service, I want to be reading XML. Does that make me a bad person? Continue Reading
Feature 06 Jan 2017

The benefits of Java microservices in a Docker and DevOps world

To seasoned developers, microservices may sound like SOA by another name. But Java microservices apps delivered via Docker through DevOps techniques actually provide much more agility and scalability than SOA applications Continue Reading
Blog Post 29 Nov 2016

Implementing a scalable, microservices architecture without all the hype

The days of the monolith are numbered. A system that may have worked fine internally for a few hundred users simply isn’t designed to work well for thousands of geographically dispersed users. Continue Reading
Podcast 03 Nov 2016

Why you should choose the Go language for microservices development

How can teams simplify microservices development, especially when scaling microservices is the key? Many are turning to the Go programming language and Go kit for answers. Continue Reading
Blog Post 11 Oct 2016

Microservice APIs the key to middleware management and container deployments

For consumers and creators of middleware, microservices, and APIs, the future is bound to be complex. But it will be full of examples of big business taking risks to get it right. Continue Reading
News 21 Sep 2016

From JShell to Jigsaw, reactive programming is built into Java EE

If we learned one thing from the JavaOne 2016 keynotes, it's that the Java EE platform is built to enable reactive programming. Continue Reading
Feature 11 Sep 2016

Establishing a coherent API for the Internet of Things (IoT)

The rapid growth of smart devices is inspiring many developers to create applications for home monitoring, health, and other services. But these applications are dependent on early adopters that actually buy and install hardware. Read on to find out how innovative companies are starting to craft IoT applications without this overhead. Continue Reading
Feature 25 Jul 2016

The right language for microservice orchestration and development

As organizations create a microservices-based component architecture, many wonder which programming language to choose for microservice orchestration. Continue Reading
Feature 24 Mar 2016

Modularity thrives when microservices and SOA comes together

Many organizations think they need to make a choice between service oriented architectures and microservices. The fact is, the most modular solutions happen when microservices and SOA comes together. Continue Reading
News 10 Dec 2015

Java turns 20: What's in store for Java programming?

Barry Burd, author and Java expert, discusses how Java programming recently turned 20 years old how it's managed to stick around for so long. Continue Reading
Tip 11 Sep 2015

State-based streaming emerges as REST development alternative

Developers are looking to increase Web application performance with alternatives to REST development approaches. Continue Reading
Feature 15 Jun 2015

When loose coupling and SOA style software layering doesn't make sense

Loose coupling and adding in SOA style layers don't make sense unless an application is going to be distributed. If enterprise wide distribution isn't in your application's future, stop adding in extra complexity, and collapse those layers into something easier to build and maintain. Continue Reading
Tip 22 Apr 2015

Bridging the gap between WebRTC, VoIP and phones

The WebRTC protocol has shown great promise for integrating telephony capabilities into modern enterprise applications. But challenges remain. Continue Reading
Feature 06 Apr 2015

Where are the REST alternatives for real-time applications?

Enterprise developers face number of challenges in creating frameworks for building scalable real-time applications that power modern apps like the cars moving in Uber. Read on to find out how new protocols and automatically synchronized database frameworks can help to simplify these kinds of applications. Continue Reading
Tutorial 20 Jul 2014

Integrating Ajax into your Facelets pages: Death to JSF's request-response cycle

If you're doing Facelets development, this might be the most important tutorial you will ever read. It will explain to you how to throw out that annoying request-response cycle, and explain how to integrate Ajax based JSF components with a dynamically re-rendering Facelets page snippet. Continue Reading
Tutorial 20 Mar 2014

O'Reilly Fluent 2014 conference coverage

Get the latest on Web platform technology from Fluent 2014. Continue Reading
Feature 02 Mar 2014

The three most common NoSQL mistakes you don't want to be making

More and more organizations are using NoSQL to solve various data persistence problems. But sometimes the rush to use a new technology can cause problems. Here are three common NoSQL mistakes adopters of the technology will want to avoid. Continue Reading
Feature 20 Jan 2014

Become a NoSQL expert: Three best books for learning polyglot persistence

The NoSQL movement has taken the industry by storm, and more and more applications are using polyglot persistence technologies. Are you up to speed on NoSQL? If not, here are three books that will make you an expert. Continue Reading
Feature 03 Aug 2013

Software developers demanding resource based, RESTful APIs

Software developers are demanding APIs that are delivered in a RESTful, resource based way, and one way to do that is by building with the RESTlet framework. Continue Reading
Feature 01 Aug 2013

Handling the four 'V's of big data: volume, velocity, variety, and veracity

If you are about to engage in the world of big data, or are hiring a specialist to consult on your big data needs, keep in mind the four 'V's of big data: volume, velocity, variety and veracity. Continue Reading
Feature 29 Jun 2013

Simplify Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) with the AWS Elastic Beanstalk

Using the Elastic Beanstalk, part of the Amazon Web Service (AWS) suite of of products, can greatly simplify application lifecycle management tasks suck as scaling, monitoring and provisioning. Continue Reading
Tutorial 23 Apr 2013

How 'big data' solved the content management (CMS) problem

Content management systems that need to sift through huge amounts of data are big data problems in need of a solution. Fortunately, projects like Hadoop and MapReduce are coming to the rescue. Continue Reading
Feature 23 Apr 2013

Big Data Hadoop solutions with Hive, Mahout, HBase and Cassandra

As Hadoop evolves, complimentary technologies such as Hive, Mahout, HBase and Cassandra are allowing software engineers get more and more out of commodity hardware. Continue Reading
Tip 07 Apr 2013

BEST: Simple web service alternatives to SOAP, XML and REST

Sometimes architects over-complicate web services, but indeed, effective solutions can be created without SOA, REST and SOAP. Continue Reading
Feature 01 Apr 2013

Key benefits of architecting loosely coupled SOA-based solutions

Service-oriented architectures (SOA) experience the most benefits when architects use loose coupling to build their solutions. Continue Reading
Tutorial 13 Mar 2013

Mobile application development tutorial

Looking for a start in developing mobile apps for existing enterprise computing systems? This mobile application development tutorial is here to help. Continue Reading
Tip 15 Feb 2013

ALM expert says Agile methods are the way to conquer mobile ALM

Enterprise application developers are finding mobile application lifecycle management has challenges. ALM pro Howard Deiner advises an Agile approach. Continue Reading
Feature 10 Jan 2013

How NoSQL, MySQL and MongoDB worked together to solve a big-data problem

Choosing between schemaless NoSQL databases and strong-schema relational designs isn't an either-or decision, as this case study points out. When dealing with their big data problem, Craigslist decided that their MySQL servers could use a little help from MongoDB, and putting the two technologies together created a better system with greater availability, scalability and performance. Continue Reading
Feature 09 Jan 2013

The Craigslist Dilemma: A case study for big data and NoSQL solutions

It's hard to imagine just how many postings Craigslist has handled over the years, and if you were in charge of archiving those posts and storing them for compliance, you'd need a 'big data' solution. So how does Craigslist manage all of their data, both the incoming stuff and the stuff that needs archiving? It's a beautiful combination of MySQL, NoSQL and a little help from the people at 10Gen. Continue Reading
Feature 23 Aug 2012

How cloud computing is impacting enterprise Java developers

How do cloud computing technologies impact the day-to-day development patterns of typical Java developers? Continue Reading
Tip 04 May 2012

Why application integration matters

Application integration may hold much more benefit than most Java development shops realize. Continue Reading
Feature 19 Sep 2011

Cloud Technologies are Changing the IT Landscape

By far, the largest impact of a cloud computing model is to IT infrastructure. The migration to such a model must be carefully considered because not only is hardware and software affected but also the way in which internal IT processes and vendor relationships must change. Continue Reading
Feature 09 Aug 2011

Managed File Transfer in Enterprise Java Applications

In an SOA world, bulk data transfer occurs largely by way of file transfer. "Multiple studies show that around 80% of business-to-business traffic consists of files," says Jonathan Lampe of File Transfer Consulting, a vendor-neutral consultancy focused solely on file transfer issues. Continue Reading
Feature 27 Jul 2011

Say No To The Cloud? There Are Reasons Why

The extensively use of IT systems by business users to increase productivity and bring down cots of operations has lead to building and maintaining substantial IT infrastructure. Managing the complex IT systems require high capital cost, expensive IT manpower with high attrition rate, security, and maintenance. Continue Reading
Tip 11 Jul 2011

Building out a service-oriented architecture with Java EE

A service-oriented architecture can help software developers deal with complicated applications that often eat up time with excessive maintenance needs. Continue Reading
Tip 18 May 2011

RESTful Web services made easy

Learn the basics about RESTful web services in this quick tip. You can create a RESTful Web service using nothing more than the JDK, a simple text editor and Tomcat 7. Continue Reading
Tip 28 Apr 2011

Building Java Web services with NetBeans 7

In this tutorial, I'll walk through building a simple Web service with NetBeans 7. Let's see just how far the Java specification and the tools that support the spec have come. Continue Reading
Tutorial 09 Jun 2010

On Promoting Dependency Injection with Guice

Guice is known as an annotation based dependency injection framework. Being a relatively new player in dependency injection topic, Guice has quickly become popular thanks for its effort to make dependency injection as simple as annotating codes with @Inject. Guice pioneers the use of annotation in dependency injection as it believes Java annotation can assist to accomplish dependency injection easily, quickly and safely. Not only its easy-to-use advantage, Guice framework has also shown its strengths in flexibility, scalability and last but not least maintainability. Continue Reading
News 01 Mar 2009

Scalability and Performance of jBPM Workflow Engine in a JBoss Cluster

The goal of this article is to show how to achieve near-linear scalability of jBPM workflow engine by tuning its configuration and setting it up on a JBoss cluster with distributed TreeCache. Readers will be guided through all steps required to cluster jBPM efficiently – from cluster setup to fine-tuning jBPM configuration – and provided with performance test results as well as various tips and tricks allowing to achieve maximum performance. Continue Reading
News 01 Jan 2009

SOA and the Mainframe: Two Worlds Collide and Integrate

In the context of Legacy Modernization, an SOA Integration architecture can bring a legacy environment into the world of the World Wide Web, Web 2.0, and all the other latest Internet-based IT architectures. Continue Reading
News 01 Aug 2008

Building a Scalable Enterprise Applications Using Asynchronous IO and SEDA Model

This article presents one solution to overcome the scalability issues related to the enterprise applications that must support a mix of fast and long running business processes, or with great or small throughput. Continue Reading
News 01 Apr 2008

Complex Event Processing Made Simple Using Esper

Event processing has been at the heart of any computing system for more then a decade. A common challenge across industries is to be able to extract actionable intelligence from disparate event sources in the most real-time possible way. Continue Reading
News 01 Jan 2007

Mule: A Case Study

The buzzword du jour in service-oriented architectures is ESB. Enterprise service buses are the preferred tools for integrating systems with heterogeneous data interchange interfaces and based on a wide array of technologies, from COBOL to CORBA to JEE. This article is an introduction to ESBs and enterprise integration using Mule, the open-source ESB. Continue Reading
News 01 Apr 2005

BPEL and Java

The idea and motivation behind almost each new technology and platform for enterprise application development is to provide an environment where better business applications can be developed with less effort –business applications which should closely align to the business processes, which should not be too complex, and which can be adapted to the changing nature of business processes without too much effort. Continue Reading
News 01 May 2004

An Introduction to the Drools Project

Part one of this article revisits an old concept and introduces a new technology for the Java Enterprise developer's utility belt. I'll discuss how Rules Engines can improve the agility of your business by helping you isolate the "logic of the bottom line" from the technical logic of your software applications. I'll introduce the JSR-94 Rules Engine API and an Open Source product called Drools, the forerunner implementation of this up-and-coming technology. Continue Reading