4.2. Service Registry

A service registry is a central database that stores information about services, notably their end-point references. The default service registry for the JBoss Enterprise SOA Platform is jUDDI (Java Universal Description, Discovery and Integration). Most service registries are designed to adhere to the Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) specifications.

From a business analyst’s perspective, the registry is similar to an Internet search engine, albeit one designed to find web services instead of web pages. From a developer's perspective, the registry is used to discover and publish services that match various criteria.

In many ways, the Registry Service can be considered to be the "heart" of the JBoss Enterprise SOA Platform. Services can "self-publish" their end-point references to the Registry when they are activated and then remove them when they are taken out of service. Consumers can consult the registry in order to determine which end-point reference is needed for the current service task.