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Network users take communications sessions for granted: Web sites recognize surfers from the time they log on until they click off. The phone system knows when a call begins and ends. But in the SOA world of loosely coupled systems and distributed applications, sessions aren't so simple. Most real-world implementations still depend on lower-level protocols or proprietary technologies, both of which can restrict a service's flexibility and potential for reuse.
Two standards released in April aim to change all this, but there's a catch. Although both come from the same group—OASIS, or the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards—they're backed by different vendor factions and have some overlapping functionality. However, they can work together, and we see both being necessary in the long term.
The standard most clearly targeted at session management is WS-Context, backed by Red Hat, Oracle, IONA and Arjuna. Its supporters compare it to HTTP cookies, the standard way in which Web sites keep track of visitors by storing small chunks of (usually) encrypted data on client machines. In addition to being used in SOA environments, WS-Context is also likely to be used as a means of sharing data in environments using SCA (Service Component Architecture), a new programming method aimed at making applications from smaller components that can run independently.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
