A design technique for evolving web services

Abstract

In this paper, we define the problem of simultaneously deploying multiple versions of a web service in the face of independently developed unsupervised clients. We then propose a solution in the form of a design technique called Chain of Adapters and argue that this approach strikes a good balance between the various requirements. We recount our experiences in automating the application of the technique and provide an initial analysis of the performance degradations it may occasion. The Chain of Adapters technique is particularly suitable for self-managed systems since it makes many version-related reconfiguration tasks safe, and thus subject to automation.