<p>We are moving towards a standards-based Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), where IT infrastructure is continuously adapted to keep up with the pace of business change. Oracle is at the forefront of this vision, with the Oracle SOA Suite providing the most comprehensive, proven, and integrated tool kit for building SOA based applications.<br /><br />Developers and Architects using the Oracle SOA Suite, whether working on integration projects, building composite applications, or specializing in implementations of Oracle Applications, need a hands-on guide on how best to harness and apply this technology. <br /><br />This book will guide you on using and applying the Oracle SOA Suite to solve real-world problems, enabling you to quickly learn and master the technology and its applications.<br /><br />The initial section of the book is aimed at providing you with a detailed hands-on tutorial to each of the core components that make up the Oracle SOA Suite; namely the Oracle Service Bus, BPEL Process Manager, Human Workflow, Business Rules, and Business Activity Monitoring. Once you are familiar with the various pieces of the SOA Suite and what they do, the next question will typically be: "What is the best way to combine / use all of these different components to implement a real-world SOA solution?"<br /><br />Answering this question is the goal of the next section. Using a working example of an online auction site (oBay), it leads you through key SOA design considerations in implementing a robust solution that is designed for change. Though the examples in the book are based on Oracle SOA Suite 10.1.3.4 the book will still be extremely useful for anyone using 11g.<br /><br />The final section addresses non-functional considerations and covers the packaging, deployment, and testing of SOA applications; it then details how to use Web Service Manager to secure and administer SOA applications.</p>