Developing Web Services at a Glance

The technologies that are used to develop Web services are divided into four groups: Core Web Services, Enhanced Web Services, Secure Web Services, and Legacy Web Services. Web services are also used for Systems Management.

Core Web Services

The technologies included in this group are the fundamental technologies used to develop web services. These technologies include solutions for the processing of XML content, databinding and the development SOAP based and RESTful Web services.

Java API for XML-Based Web Services (JAX-WS)
JAX-WS is a fundamental technology for developing SOAP based and RESTful Java Web services. JAX-WS is designed to take the place of JAX-RPC in Web services and Web applications. Also see JSR 224.

Java Architecture for XML Binding (JAXB)
JAXB provides a convenient way to process XML content using Java objects by binding its XML schema to Java representation. Also see JSR 222.

Enhanced Web Services

The technologies included in this group are used to develop enhanced Web services using features such as reliable messaging and atomic transactions.

Web Services Interoperability Technologies (WSIT)
WSIT is an extension to JAX-WS and provides interoperability between Java Web services and Microsoft's Windows Communication Foundation. It focuses on enhanced Web service features such as security, reliable messaging, and atomic transactions.

Secure Web Services

The technologies in this group can be used to secure Web services.

Web Services Interoperability Technologies (WSIT)
WSIT enables secure, interoperability between Java Web services and Microsoft's Windows Communication Foundation.

XML and Web Services Security (XWS-Security)
XWS-Security provides a framework within which a JAX-WS, JAX-RPC or SAAJ application can be secured by configuring the request and response security policies at the level of a service, port, or operation.

Legacy Web Services

The technologies in the group this group have been replaced by the Core Web services but can be still be used to support older Web services.

Java API for XML-Based RPC (JAX-RPC)
JAX-RPC enables building of Web services and Web applications based on the SOAP 1.1 specification, Java SE 1.4 or lower, or when rpc/encoded style must be used. If possible, JAX-WS should be used instead as it is based on the most recent industry standards. JAX-RPC can be used standalone or as part of GlassFish. Also see JSR 101.

Systems Management

The technologies in this group utilize Web services to provide systems management capability.

Web Services - Management
WS-Management defines a profile of Web services for message exchange between management systems and managed resources, to provide typical management operations. Also see Wiseman project.