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Introduction

The following sample usage scenario should provide good understanding on how UDDI can be put in action. The sample scenario is a simple one but should already be sophisticated enough to reflect a realistic use.

Context description

Company NewCo is providing a Webmail service. As part of its extended Internet offering, NewCo would like to offer Webmasters the opportunity to add a Webmail functionality to their Web sites. Thanks to a set of XML-based Web services, NewCo would like to provide access the base functions of their Webmail system while letting Webmasters the opportunity to develop a Webmail interface that respects the brand of their Web site.

Company duties

The first task of the software developers of NewCo is to externalize the current Webmail functionalities. A set of Web methods will be identified and implemented as a set of SOAP-based Web services. Examples of Web methods may be ReadMessage, SendMessage, DeleteMessage, etc.

NewCo then writes the documentation for the new service. For example, they develop a Web site detailing the business, legal and technical aspects of the new service.

• On the business side, NewCo could detail their offering in term of price per account and per Mb of data.
• On the legal side, NewCo could detail the terms and conditions of use and service level agreements.
• On the technical side, in-depth information on the messages formats could be provided as well as guidelines for Webmasters using Java or.NET technologies. Both pointers to plain explanatory documents than to self-describing specifications such as a WSDL specifications could be provided.

Once the system developed, NewCo needs a way to advertise it to the World. This is where UDDI enters into action. First, NewCo ensures that it is registered as a business in the UDDI Business Registry, providing the needed contact information and classifying itself as a UNSPSC "Computer services" company or NAICS "Information services and Data Processing Services" company. NewCo then describes its new business service, providing it a name such as "NewCo XML-based Webmail service", a description and information on how to get the details on the service that has been developed.

Webmasters duties

Webmasters wanting to add Webmail functionality to their Web site connect to the UDDI Business Registry or a Web services portal based on UDDI and issue a search for a service containing "mail" in its name. They get a list of services, including hopefully the one of NewCo. If needed, searches can be refined to businesses of an appropriate category, such as companies pertaining to the UNSPSC "Computer services" or NAICS "Information services and Data Processing Services" classification.

Webmasters review the documentation available from NewCo for the Webmail service and assess whether the service suits their needs, both in the functional and technical point of views. Once the appropriate agreements reached, the actual implementation can start.