Building Net-Centric architectures, as prescribed by DoDAF 1.5, involves in part capturing the services provided and used by the operational and systems architecture.
A Service has many definitions, depending on context and use. DoDAF 1.5 embraces the IEEE 1003.0 definition of a service: “a distinct part of the functionality that is provided by a system on one side of an interface to a system on the other side of an interface.”
DoDAF 1.5 extends this definition of service to include interfaces that allow execution of a business or mission process, or exchange information among both machine and human users via standard interfaces and specifications without regard for underlying implementation.
The following are examples of services presented in the DoDAF 1.5 specification:
▪An information processing routine that assists in a business processing function (for example, payroll lookup).
▪Map imagery used by a human that has access to a web-based device or platform (for example, a web-enabled PDA).
▪Web portals, websites, and web services all fall within the definition of a “service” as discussed in DoDAF 1.5.
According to the DoDAF 1.5 specification, “while net-centric guidance provided in the DoDAF 1.5 focuses on web-based services, much of the guidance is applicable to any form of electronic information processing or access service”.