In information technology, a '''service description''' is a description of a service that explains how the service can be used by clients. The exact meaning of the term depends on context.
== In IT service management ==
In IT service management, a service is something provided by people to other people.
Certain frameworks to describe IT service management use the term '''service description'''; for instance, it may be a standard part of a service level agreement.<ref> {{cite web | url = https://www.itsmprocesses.com/Wiki/Englisch/ITIL%20Documents.htm | title = Documents for IT Service Management, according to ITIL® and ISO 20000 | author = Dipl.-Ing. Walter Abel Management Consulting | date = 2024-05-12 | access-date = 2024-06-18 }} </ref>
== In software systems ==
In software systems with a service-oriented architecture, certain parts of the software act as services that other parts of the software invoke by sending a request and receiving a response in return. Many different ways of doing this have been developed over time; some have developed into standards, such as CORBA and SOAP. In this context, a service description describes the structure of the request and of the response. The exact way to do this depends on the standard being used. Examples: *{{annotated link|Interface description language}} *{{annotated link|Web Services Description Language}} *{{annotated link|RESTful Service Description Language}} *{{annotated link|SOAP Service Description Language}} *{{annotated link|Service Mapping Description}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
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Category:Web service specifications