In enterprise SOA, business semantics consist of definitions of enterprise services and business processes. These definitions must be described in a manner that allows the technology layer of the architecture to use them to good effect. There are three types of definition languages, for processes, service interfaces, and message content.
Languages for process definition
Process definition languages define the sequence and conditions in which the steps in a business process occur. With machine-readable definitions, a business process platform can ensure that the steps are followed correctly. The need for this ability is related to the way businesses work – reacting to an event with an activity. An event can be almost anything – contact with a customer or supplier or reception of an order or an invoice. Enterprises need a way to describe – clearly and unambiguously – how the events that occur relate to activities in the business.
