ACS Service Contract Overview by Neophytos Demetriou (k2pts@yahoo.com) and Kapil Thangavelu (k_vertigo@yahoo.com) Goals - To increase inter-application code reuse by designating interfaces for interaction. - To increase flexibility by allowing developers to reimplement an interface for their needs. - To provide the framework for constructing web services by housing the metadata needed to construct wsdl. - To be low impediment to developers to create interfaces for their packages. - To reduce fixed dependencies in packages. Definitions Interface - An abstract set of operations supported by one or more endpoints. Operation - An abstract description of an action supported by the service. Binding - A concrete implementation for a particular interface. Function - The implementation of an operation. Actors Registrar - An entity that defines the specification of a contract and registers it with the repository. Provider - Provides an implementation of the contract. Dependant - Something that uses a contract.