How to share settings in SOA systems?

Question

I have thinked of 3 alternatives:

1. The settings are handed from one service to the next in each transaction.
2. Each service can provide the settings to the next upon request.
3. The settings are stored in a central service where that all services must access from time to time.

What is your favorite approach and why?

Answer 1

Your third approach is the best because in my opinion each service needs to be autonomous from any other service.

Autonomous services are one of the tenants of SOA.

Answer 2

It depends to a large extent what you mean by settings, we found that there are different 'types'. Some are relevant only in the context of the service, and so - I believe they should be managed within the scope of the service.

Other's are actually shared information regarding business entities, and for those the third service approach works pretty well.