computer science

Open service interface definition

Open service interface definition is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Open service interface definition rather than just read about it. In short: An open service interface definition (OSID) is a programmatic interface specification describing a service. These interfaces are specified by the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) to implement a service-oriented architecture (SOA) to achieve interoperability among applications across a varied base of underlying and changing technologies.

Key takeaways

Open service interface definition belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Open service interface definition to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Open service interface definition from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

An open service interface definition (OSID) is a programmatic interface specification describing a service. These interfaces are specified by the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) to implement a service-oriented architecture (SOA) to achieve interoperability among applications across a varied base of underlying and changing technologies.

Rationale To preserve the investment in software engineering, program logic is separated from underlying technologies through the use of software interfaces each of which defines a contract between a service consumer and a service provider. This separation is the basis of any valid SOA. While some methods define the service interface boundary at a protocol or server level, OSIDs place the boundary at the application level to effectively insulate the consumer from protocols, server identities, and utility libraries that are in the domain to a service provider resulting in software which is easier to develop, longer-lasting, and usable across a wider array of computing environments. OSIDs assist in software design and development by breaking up the problem space across service interface boundaries. Because network communication issues are addressed within a service provider and below the interface, there isn't an assumption that every service provider implement a remote communications protocol (though many do). OSIDs are also used for communication and coordination among the various components of complex software which provide a means of organizing design and development activities for simplified project management. OSID providers (implementations) are often reused across a varied set of applications. Once software is made to understand the interface contract for a service, other compliant implementations may be used in its place. This achieves reusability at a high level (a service level) and also serves to easily scale software written for smaller more dedicated purposes. An OSID provider implementation may be composed of an arbitrary number of other OSID providers. This layering technique is an obvious means of abstraction. When all the OSID providers implement the same service, this is called an adapter pattern. Adapter patterns are powerful techniques to federate, multiplex, or bridge different services contracting from the same interface without the modification to the application.

List Agent Assessment Authentication Authorization CourseManagement Dictionary Filing Grading Hierarchy Logging Messaging Repository Scheduling Workflow

References Baving, T., Cook, D., Green, T. Integrating the Educational Enterprise. 2003. Archived 2003-11-26 at the Wayback Machine Kraan, W. O.K.I. and IMS, wires and sockets revisited. Kahn, J. Screen Shots: Repository OSID Interoperability. 2005. Kumar, V., Merriman, J., Thorne, S. Open Knowledge Initiative Final Report. 2004. Kahn, J. Repository Developer's Guide. 2006. Kahn, J. Managing Complexity and Surviving Technology Change. 2005.

External links Official website OSID wiki PHP OSIDs

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Open service interface definition

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Open service interface definition claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Open service interface definition before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Open service interface definition ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Open service interface definition

In research: Open service interface definition appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Open service interface definition in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Open service interface definition is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Internet stubs, Service-oriented (business computing), Software architecture, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Open service interface definition outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Open service interface definition” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Open service interface definition in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Open service interface definition means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Open service interface definition out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Open service interface definition in simple terms?

Why does Open service interface definition matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Open service interface definition?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Open service interface definition.