IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Get started with IBM BPM > Key concepts > The enterprise service bus in IBM BPM
Service applications and service modules
A service module is a SCA module that provides services in the runtime environment. When you deploy a service module to IBM BPM, you build an associated service application that is packaged as an enterprise archive (EAR) file.
Service modules are the basic units of deployment and can contain components, libraries, and staging modules used by the associated service application. Service modules have exports and, optionally, imports to define the relationships between modules and service requesters and providers. WebSphere Process Server supports modules for business services and mediation modules. Both modules and mediation modules are types of SCA modules. A mediation module allows communication between applications by transforming the service invocation to a format understood by the target, passing the request to the target and returning the result to the originator. A module for a business service implements the logic of a business process. However, a module can also include the same mediation logic that can be packaged in a mediation module.
Deploying a service application
The process of deploying an EAR file containing a service application is the same as the process of deploying any EAR file. You can modify values for mediation parameters at deployment time. After you have deployed an EAR file containing an SCA module, you can view details about the service application and its associated module. You can see how a service module is connected to service requesters (through exports) and service providers (through imports).
Viewing SCA module details
The service module details that you can view depend upon the SCA module. They include the following attributes.
- SCA module name
- SCA module description
- Associated application name
- SCA module version information, if the module is versioned
- SCA module imports:
- Import interfaces are abstract definitions that describe how an SCA module accesses a service.
- Import bindings are concrete definitions that specify the physical mechanism by which an SCA module accesses a service.
For example, using SOAP/HTTP.
- SCA module exports:
- Export interfaces are abstract definitions that describe how service requesters access an SCA module.
- Export bindings are concrete definitions that specify the physical mechanism by which a service requester accesses an SCA module, and indirectly, a service.
- SCA module properties
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