ITGumbo: spicing IT up

In addition to data security it is important to ensure web service requester and web service provider integrity is secure. To ensure integrity security the providers must ensure that information provided does not break the information exchange contract between the provider and the requester, i.e. the wire messages are constructed in accordance with WSD and are processed according to the published policies. In semantic web where the automated web service integration is promoted the WSD documents and policy documents must be carefully elaborated to ensure that no unwarranted access to information is allowed. The web service requester & provider must provide the message IOPE with ontology references (modelReference and schemaMapping) and policy definitions to find the best match web service from the semantic web service registry.

Example:

There is a video library that maintains an online database of all disks. Assume that this library wants to provide a special service for non-adult members. The non-adult members can host access to the library database on their web site in order to post reviews, blog and create discussion forums. The views of one community created on a web site can be shared with another community through library database and thus cultural information in different localities is shared. For the benefit and interest of its non-adult members the library hosts the community profile and views on the library web server. The library web service provides policy alternatives to control access to the database for different rating (TV-14, PG, R, etc.) movies. This suggests that the member web sites must select the movie rating for membership and include rating in all messages.

If the metadata terms that describe the audio/video record in the library database are proprietary tags of this library then the web requesters (non-adult members) who want to integrate with several libraries around the globe will have to manually read the MEP and policies of library web services from XML files to find appropriate security for content that will be published on their web sites. Use of normative metadata (title, rating) from a standard ontology (library movie record) that describes library records will enable automated discovery and integration with library web services. The web requester can find library web services with a particular rating movie database from the semantic web registry.

In this example, libMovieRec, listMovieRating are objects from a standard ontology. The object listMovieRatingNA is the list of movie rating values for non-adults that is supported by this library. The library member supports access to TY-14 rating movies only on the member web site. Therefore the library member WSD document has precondition for message output parameter element to have value TY-14 for rating. This member web service will integrate with those library web services that provide access to TY-14 movie database. The library has provided access to all non-adult movies on this interface and adult movies may be accessed on another interface . The precondition child element in the operation element of an interface IOPE is used to suggest the rating value accepted on this interface. The rating value is an input parameter element for the library web service. Another member who wants access to R movies will not be able to integrate with this service of library.

Conclusion: The semantic annotation (reference of standard ontology) in web service WSD document will provide secure interface for automated integration of web services.