what is service architecture

DasheEbra

I am not a CS guy, my education is geography so i don't have solid info in systems. So I found out that Esri push or highlight it's products to be based on Service based architecture (Branch version and some other extensions as an example). So i did a quick search and i found out there are some comparisons such as:
- Service based architecture (SOA i think)

- Microservices

If i want to know a little more about these and the history of these terminologies in addition to explore what is Web GIS, what should I read in or search for?

ArchitSrivastava

Hello @DasheEbra 

Firstly, welcome to the world of WebGIS (I hope it's exciting for you).

I would recommend starting from basic and start small. Do not get into microservices yet. To answer your queries, I found some details:

What Is WebGIS ?

It is any GIS that uses Web technology to communicate between some components: a GIS server(identified by a URL) and a client (a web browser, a desktop application, or a mobile application). The communication is via Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP/HTTPS) and the format of the response can be an HTML, binary image, XML (Extensible Markup Language), GML (Geography Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation).

The overarching goal of this technology is to allow users to dynamically access, share, and manipulate geospatial data on the web no matter the platform or protocol.

WebGIS is an advanced form of Geographic Information Systems available on web platforms. It kicked off as a GIS running in web browsers and has evolved into Web GIS serving desktop and mobile clients. 

In essence  Web GIS, or Web Geographic Information System, refers to the use of web technologies to create, share, and interact with geographic information and spatial data. It combines the principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with the capabilities of the web to provide a platform for accessing, visualizing, analyzing, and sharing spatial data over the internet.

Also, I would like to recommend a few resources to read and get more understanding. These are revolving around ESRI technology and how ESRI components fit different needs:

• Get Started with Web GIS | Book Sample (esri.com)
• Geospatial Experience: The ArcGIS Platform Inside and Out (SSP TV) (sspinnovations.com)
• Web GIS: A Crash Course - Esri Videos: GIS, Events, ArcGIS Products & Industries
• Web GIS : CP-14 - Web GIS | GIS&T Body of Knowledge (ucgis.org)

Hopefully, I have not scared you with too much information 😬.  I have tried to controlled details to get you started with. 

Let me know if any queries arise. Hope it helps!

-Archit