Services Applications are a new model in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010. Known as a Shared Service Provider (SSP) in MOSS 2007, a Service Application exposes functionality that has been configured for providing extended capabilities across site collections and Web applications or potentially across multiple SharePoint farms.
Key points on Service Applications
- A service application can be implemented as a Web service. Service applications that are implemented as Web services are configured and hosted under the service application Web application (See Figure 1)
- SSP’s and Service Applications, although can be mentioned in the same breath, use different protocols.
- Settings and data used by Service Applications are stored in the Service Application database
- Every SharePoint farm will have zero or more service applications
- The Service Platform Topology Web Service Protocol Specification specifies the communication between the protocol client and the protocol server used to obtain a list of service applications and their properties
Figure 1 - Configuration of Web Applications inside of IIS
SharePoint 2010 Service Applications
- Excel Services
- Access Services
- User Profiles
- User Profile Property
- Search
- Indexing
- Business Connectivity Service
- Usage Analytics
- PeformancePoint Services
Potential uses…
- Master Data Management
- LOB Application Integration
- Greater ability to centrally manage customizations e.g. centralized management of “My Site” customizations
- Replacement of Out-of-the-box Service Applications e.g. a new Search Service Application that overloads the current Search Service Application whilst conforming to its protocols
Can you suggest any other uses? Leave a comment!
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Information has been obtained from the publicly available Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies Protocols Overview documents
