Service (systems architecture)

In the contexts of software architecture, service is a set of software functionality (such as the retrieval of specified information or the execution of a set of operations) that different clients can reuse, together with the policies that should control its usage (based on the identity of the client requesting the service, for example). service-orientation and service-oriented architecture, OASIS defines a service as "a mechanism to enable access to one or more capabilities, where the access is provided using a prescribed interface and is exercised consistent with constraints and policies as specified by the service description".

SOMF (Service-Oriented Modelling Framework) defines a service as "a cohesive entity that encapsulates business requirements and can be technologically defined as a software component".

Typical examples include web services, which provide third parties with access to specific functions over the Internet, network or system services, and telecommunications services. Also, application services that help, for example, track schedules, book appointments, accelerate order processing, and manage resources via a web interface.