The Web Service Software Factory (WSSF, or Service Factory) is a technology toolkit from the Microsoft Patterns & Practices group that focuses on building the server side of a web services infrastructure.

WSSF takes advantage of several modules in the Microsoft Enterprise Library 2.0, and uses a software factory model to generate the application from database to service implementation through a set of wizards.

There are two versions of WSSF out today:

• Jun06 - VB support, ASMX (.NET v2)
• Dec06 - C# support, ASMX and WCF (.NET v3)

The Hands-on-Labs (HOL) and Reference Implementation (RI) are great resources for learning how the WSSF works.

The next major release of the Service Factory is expected in late 2007.