<<One of the things that I say that take many people back is that "SOA
is not right for all enterprises." What? How can that be?
Truth-be-told SOA is just a way to do architecture, and while valuable
within most problem domains, it indeed may not be right for you.
That's why I always suggest that you do a business case before
investing in SOA, making sure to justify the systemic change that SOA
typically drives, and should. However, the value of SOA is clearly
dependent on the characteristics of the business.
While your problem domain/enterprise may have some unique attributes,
typically there are some general guidelines when considering SOA. When
to use it, and when not.
SOA is probably a fit:
* When the enterprise is changing, and there is a high rate of
adjusting core business process for new markets, products,
acquisitions, etc.
* When the existing architecture is heterogeneous and in need of
integration.
* When the value of change is high.
SOA is probably not a fit:
* When the enterprise does not change that much.
* When the existing architecture is homogenous.
* When the value of change is low.
Pretty logical, but there are a few of you out there that leverage SOA
without regard for need. While, SOA may look good on your resume, it
may not be good for your company. SOA is a powerful weapon, it can
provide huge value, but needs to be directed towards the enterprises
where SOA can provide the most bang for the buck.>>
You can read this at:
http://weblog.infoworld.com/realworldsoa/archives/2007/11/when_not_to_soa.html?source=NLC-SOA&cgd=2007-11-20
Gervas
