Ideal Web Service Framework for Security and Interoperability

Question

Hello All,

I'm beginning a project right now that will require a pretty extensive web back end. Of the different calling conventions, we have found that the easier and more cost effective approach is to build a standard SOAP web service.

So now, we are in the process of looking at the different web service frameworks in order to determine which will meet the business needs:

• Security
• Cost
• Time

I've only worked with WCF, which I was fairly content with, but I would like to explore all other options before I make a definite decision. In your experience, what do you feel is the best web service framework?

Web Services Interoperability Technology (Java)?
WCF (.NET)?
ActionWebService (Ruby)?

On a side note, we need a framework that can securely be accessed via iPhones, Windows Mobile Devices, and Blackberries.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Chris

Answer 1

WCF can be used to make both SOAP and RESTful Web Services. Interoperability is guaranteed as long as you stick to standards. But the more standards you put on it, less platform can catch up. In that sense REST on Basic Auth over https would be very light weight. Also see WS-I Basic Profile. Java vs .NET would be matter of taste, I think. WCF is not perfect, but it mostly seems to do the job.

Answer 2

One thing to consider about WCF is that it has a very rich extensibility model. Anything it doesn't do out of the box, you can teach it to do, with little or no change to your basic service.