title: WCF Data Services implementation strategies
body: <p>Microsoft has done a savvy job of not outlining the actual place for data services in the wonderful world of SOA/Web dev.  </p>
  
  <p>So my question is are WCF Data Services designed to be used via external clients?  Has anyone ever heard of someone using them on the server side (i.e. data base access for web service)?</p>
  
  <p>Simple scenario a general layered architecture using BO business objects (parenthesis indicate what is being passed between layers)</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>(XML) WCF Service -> (BO)Business Logic -> (BO) Dao -> Entity Framework</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>or using data services it would be where DS BO are modeled business entities to be used in data service.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>(XML) WCF Service ->(BO) Business Logic -> (BO) WCF Data Service -> (DS BO)Server</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I can't see a use for the later, unless there are going to be a lot of  cases people would be accessing your data via your Data Service Layer vs the Service layer?</p>
  
  <p>Thoughts anyone, any type of reference doc that would help back it would be useful.</p>
  
  <p>I am looking for pros/cons to help other people out there like me define when/where to use data services.</p>