{{for, the network traffic classification system, Differentiated services
Differentiated service is a
design pattern
A design pattern is the re-usable form of a solution to a design problem. The idea was introduced by the architect Christopher Alexander and has been adapted for various other disciplines, particularly software engineering. The " Gang of Four" b ...
for business services and software, in which the service varies automatically according to the identity of the consumer and/or the context in which the service is used. Sometimes known as smart service or
context-aware
Context awareness refers, in information and communication technologies, to a capability to take into account the ''situation'' of ''entities'', which may be users or devices, but are not limited to those. ''Location'' is only the most obvious el ...
service.
Concept
Differentiated service is extensively covered in a few narrow technical areas, such as telecoms networks and internet (see
Differentiated services
Differentiated services or DiffServ is a computer networking architecture that specifies a mechanism for classifying and managing network traffic and providing quality of service (QoS) on modern IP networks. DiffServ can, for example, be used t ...
). It is also mentioned in some marketing sources, with reference to customer segmentation. But the general principle of service differentiation extends far beyond these domains, and it is one of the mechanisms for implementing flexibility in a
service-oriented architecture
In software engineering, service-oriented architecture (SOA) is an architectural style that focuses on discrete services instead of a monolithic design. By consequence, it is also applied in the field of software design where services are provide ...
(SOA).
Various dimensions of the service can be differentiated, including:
*Information quality. For example, an information service providing stock prices may offer real-time prices to selected users, and 15-minute-delay prices to everyone else.
*Security. For example, a user may have restricted access to sensitive information when he is using an insecure network connection. And access to the financial accounts may be restricted prior to publication.
*Customer Segmentation. For example, each retail customer may get a different set of special offers, and this can be generated dynamically, according to the contents of the shopping basket or the path through the store.
Differentiating factors can include identity (including
personalization
Personalization (broadly known as customization) consists of tailoring a service or a product to accommodate specific individuals, sometimes tied to groups or segments of individuals. A wide variety of organizations use personalization to improv ...
Context-aware pervasive systems
Context-aware computing refers to a general class of mobile systems that can sense their physical environment, and adapt their behavior accordingly.
Three important aspects of context are: where you are; who you are with; and what resources are n ...
*
Differentiated security Differentiated security is a form of computer security that deploys a range of different security policies and mechanisms according to the identity and context of a user or transaction.
This makes it much more difficult to scale or replicate attac ...