Service

Intro

A service packages related components into a defined, self-contained unit that operates independently of other services. Services can exist in business, application, and technology domains.

Key points:

• Encapsulates functionality with clear interfaces.
• Supports reuse, scalability, and loose coupling.
• Common use cases across EA/BPM/Data/App/Tech include business services, microservices, and platform services.
• Pitfall: hidden dependencies that break service independence.

Examples:

• Customer notification service exposing APIs.
• Payment authorization service reused across channels.
• Business service for order fulfillment.

In practice:

Define service boundaries, contracts, and SLAs; manage versions and dependencies.

Related terms: Service Orientation; Service Oriented Architecture; API

FAQs:

Q: Are services only technical?
A: No; business services define business capabilities delivered to customers.

Q: How do services communicate?
A: Via defined interfaces and protocols (e.g., APIs, messaging).

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