Web Services Composite Application Framework (WS-CAF) is an open framework developed by OASIS. Its purpose is to define a generic and open framework for applications that contain multiple services used together, which are sometimes referred to as composite applications. WS-CAF characteristics include interoperability, ease of implementation and ease of use.
The scope of WS-CAF includes:
Provision of WSDL definitions for context, coordination and transactions.Message formats will be specified as SOAP headers and/or body content.The specification is to be programming language-neutral and platform-neutral.Demonstrated composability with other Web Service specifications that are being developed as open, recognized standardsThe goals of promoting convergence, consistent use, and a coherent architecture.Support composability as a critical architectural characteristic of Web service specifications. WS-CAF and WS-Context are targeted to become building blocks for other Web service specifications and standards.The WS-CAF accepts the following Web services specifications as input:
WS-ContextWS-Coordination Framework (WS-CF)WS-Transaction Management (WS-TXM)The benefits and results of CAF are intended to be standard and interoperable ways to:
Demarcate and coordinate web service activitiesPropagate and coordinate context informationNotify participants of changes in an activityDefine the relationship of coordinators to each otherRecover transactions predictably and consistently in a business process execution.Interact across multiple transaction models (such as are used in CORBA, CICS, Enterprise JavaBeans or .NET environments).