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In this section we define a number of terms used in the Research in a Connected World book. We have aimed to keep these definitions simple to aid understanding of the core concepts rather than trying to come up with definitive definitions of what are often very complex and ill-defined concepts.
An infrastructure that makes use of virtualisation technologies to provide on- demand services to users. Clouds provide access to dynamically scalable resources reserved for individual users within a shared infrastructure. Like grids, clouds can be private (in-house), community-specific or public. Access to clouds is often provided through web services.
See Also Grid Web Service .
A type of distributed computing infrastructure. Grids can exist within organisations (private grids, campus grids) but often span organisational boundaries. The The EGEE grid infrastructure is an example of an international grid infrastructure.
See Also Cloud .
A description of a set of concepts and their relationships within a given domain. Ontologies can be used as a basis for automatic reasoning.
Resource Description Framework: a set of specifications for data representation that facilitate the conceptual representation of data by forming subject- predicate-object style expressions. RDF is a core component of the Semantic Web
See Also Ontology Semantic Web .
A web service that follows specific architectural principles. More often than not, REST-ful services are implementing the standard HTTP protocol.
See Also Web Service HTTP Protocol .
The plan to 'semantically annotate' data that is available on the web, thus enabling it to be processed more automatically. An example is that a postal address would not be just written like an address (making it recognisable by a human reader as an address) but also be 'tagged' so that a computer can relate the data to the concept of a postal address.
See Also RDF .
A service that can be invoked across a network using an machine-to-machine interface that ensures interoperability across system boundaries.
See Also REST(-ful) service WSDL .
Web Services Description Language: a language used to describe web service interfaces, specifying the methods available and their parameters.
See Also Web Service .
An infrastructure that makes use of virtualisation technologies to provide on- demand services to users. Clouds provide access to dynamically scalable resources reserved for individual users within a shared infrastructure. Like grids, clouds can be private (in-house), community-specific or public. Access to clouds is often provided through m32631-webServicewebServiceweb services.
See Also m32631-gridgridGrid m32631-webServicewebServiceWeb Service .
Definition: GridA type of distributed computing infrastructure. Grids can exist within organisations (private grids, campus grids) but often span organisational boundaries. The m32047m32047The EGEE grid infrastructure is an example of an international grid infrastructure.
See Also m32631-cloudcloudCloud .
Definition: OntologyA description of a set of concepts and their relationships within a given domain. Ontologies can be used as a basis for automatic reasoning.
Definition: RDFResource Description Framework: a set of specifications for data representation that facilitate the conceptual representation of data by forming subject- predicate-object style expressions. RDF is a core component of the m32631-semanticWebsemanticWebSemantic Web
See Also m32631-ontologyontologyOntology m32631-semanticWebsemanticWebSemantic Web .
Definition: REST(-ful) ServiceA m32631-webServicewebServiceweb service that follows specific architectural principles. More often than not, REST-ful services are implementing the standard m32631-httphttpHTTP protocol.
See Also m32631-webServicewebServiceWeb Service m32631-httphttpHTTP Protocol .
Definition: Semantic WebThe plan to 'semantically annotate' data that is available on the web, thus enabling it to be processed more automatically. An example is that a postal address would not be just written like an address (making it recognisable by a human reader as an address) but also be 'tagged' so that a computer can relate the data to the concept of a postal address.
Definition: WSDLWeb Services Description Language: a language used to describe m32631-webServicewebServiceweb service interfaces, specifying the methods available and their parameters.
See Also m32631-webServicewebServiceWeb Service .
Definition: Web ServiceA service that can be invoked across a network using an machine-to-machine interface that ensures interoperability across system boundaries.
See Also m32631-restfulServicerestfulServiceREST(-ful) service m32631-wsdlwsdlWSDL .