Before I explain the differences between WS-I and WSIT, let me point out the similarities:
- They both are working to achieve interoperability of Web services
- The first three letters in their short name stand for the exact same words "Web Services Interoperability"
And that’s where the similarity ends, now the differences.
| |
WSIT (Web Services Interoperability Technology) |
WS-I |
| Goal |
An open source product-quality implementation of key enterprise Web services technologies, commonly known as WS-*, from Sun Microsystems and is targeted to achieve interoperability with Microsoft .NET 3.0 framework. |
An industry organization to promote Web services interoperability across platforms, operating systems and programming languages. |
| Focus |
Interoperability between Metro (where WSIT is a key component) and Microsoft .NET 3.0 framework |
Vendor-neutral and produce profiles that contains clarifications on existing specifications to promote interoperability |
| Specifications |
Provides an implementation of WS-Metadata Exchange, WS-Transfer, WS-Reliable Messaging, WS-Reliable Messaging Policy WS-Atomic Transaction, WS-Coordination, WS-Security 1.0 and 1.1, WS-Security Policy, WS-Trust, WS-Secure Conversation, WS-Policy, WS-Policy Attachment interoperable with .NET 3.0 |
Only use recommendations approved by standards bodies such as W3C and OASIS. Currently available profiles from WS-I cover only WS-Security 1.0 from the different specifications implemented by WSIT. There is a WG charter to profile OASIS WS-Reliable Messaging and WS-Secure Conversation that is already running late. |
| Owner |
Sun Microsystems |
WS-I, A non-profit corporation registered in New York. |
| Audience |
Sun and Microsoft customers |
Web service stack providers and End user companies |
| Deliverable |
Implementation of key WS-* specifications integrated in GlassFish V2 Application Server |
Profiles, Sample Applications and Testing Tools |
| Membership |
Free and Open Source, Join and Participate today! |
Contributing Member must pay $2000 annually, Standards Development Organization may become Associate Member. |
As is evident from the table even though both WS-I and WSIT working towards Web services interoperability, there are clear differences between them.
Sun is a current Board Member of WS-I and has actively participated in the production of Basic Profile 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2, Simple SOAP Binding Profile 1.0, Attachments Profile 1.0, Basic Security Profile 1.0, Sample Applications Use Cases, Architecture, Scenarios and Implementation 1.0, Attachment Profile Usage Scenario 1.0, SAML Token Profile 1.0, REL Token Profile 1.0, Kerberos Token Profile 1.0. As the specifications supported by WSIT are endorsed by standards bodies in future, WS-I may decide to profile them as well.
The WSIT bits are integrated in GlassFish V2 and comes with a seamless integration with NetBeans IDE. WSIT is built as an extension to JAX-WS RI that provides a Core web services implementation compliant with several of the profiles mentioned above.
WSIT and JAX-WS are the two key components of Metro – the Web services stack in GlassFish. That gives you the best of both world – a product-quality implementation of WS-* specifications and compliance with industry-standard profiles.
Technorati: wsit ws-i metro webservices glassfish
Sun’s participation in the previous plugfests can be followed here.