Metadata at the Foundation of Soa

There are many benefits to implementing a service oriented architecture (SOA), such as the efficiency gained in utilizing shared resources, the flexibility of composing systems with model-based constructs, and the ability to incorporate centralized policies and oversight mechanisms. However, as services proliferate and the applications that consume them get more complex, the need to better manage and govern these assets increases dramatically. Such efforts will inevitably help organizations better capitalize on what SOAs have to offer and also mitigate some of the risks inherent in a highly modular and distributed computing environment.