Definition: Service Consumer

I've copied the text of Greg's original email and added some questions
to each point of view...


Rebekah

Original:
Here is a summary of yesterdays proposals for defining the term "Service
Consumer":

1) Software that invokes an instance,
Is the assumption here that an instance is always a service?

2) Software that uses a service instance,
Does this imply that an instance could possibly pertain to something
other than a service?

3) An agent that wishes to interact with a service,
So consume == interact?

4) An agent that interacts with a service in order to
    achieve a goal,
Does the goal apply to the consumer or the service?  Again, does consume
== interact?

5) An entity that binds with a service is playing the role of service
consumer,

Is there a relationship between agent and entity?  What is the
established definition of bind here?  Does that imply finding the
service, etc?

where the suggested definition of "agent" was:

1) An Agent is a software program acting on behalf of an owner.
Again, I would suggest entity, as an agent could be software or
hardware.  

What about the relationship between an agent and an owner?  Can the
agent == owner?  Can agent act on behalf of someone other than 'owner'?


BTW - I like the use of interacts or (no spears please) interfaces
rather than invokes/consumes/uses/exploits.

Rebekah Metz
Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Voice:  (703) 377-1471
Fax:     (703) 902-3457