Architecture classification for SOA-based applications

The architecture of SOA-based applications is different from traditional software architecture where the architecture is mainly static. The architecture of an SOA-based application is dynamic, i.e., the application may be composed at runtime using existing services. Thus SOA has provided a new direction for software architecture study, where the architecture is determined at runtime and architecture can be dynamically changed at runtime to meet the new software requirements. This paper proposes an architecture classification scheme for SOA-based applications. Using this classification, several well-known SOA-based applications are reviewed including the architectures proposed and adopted by major computer companies and standard organizations. The architecture classification provides a unified way to evaluate a variety of architectures for SOA-based applications.