If we are to rely on an infrastructure of Web Services, whether managed by ourselves or by others, we will need tools and approaches to managing them.
First we will need to set up a repository to maintain the agreements we have entered into. This repository will be structured somewhat along the lines of the contracts described in the previous section, but of course will also have to include the WSDL description of the messages themselves. If we are using multiple suppliers for the same service, this will have to be captured, as well as any minimum required usage or maximum or rate-change levels.
The second aspect is monitoring the services on a real-time basis. This monitoring will need to provide statistics to support the service level agreement and other provisions, as well as information to support billing. The requirement for real-time or near–real-time monitoring is to ensure that there is a real-time escalation in the event of a service disruption.
Third, the Web Services management function should provide the support for and the actual invoicing or transfer of funds as per the contract.