An operation provides the interface for a service: it specifies what the service can do. For example, messaging operations can be one of the following:
One-Way, which only requests information
Notification, which receives unsolicited requests
Database and Web services operations can be Request/Reply, which requests information and waits for a response to the information
A service operation is a single call that can be made in a service.
Operations have different functionality, depending on the type of service:
A messaging service operation sends a message to or receives a message from a messaging system.
A database service operation invokes a database stored procedure or a SQL query.
A Web service operation is a SOAP/HTTP request against a remote web service.
To use an operation in a business process, use the Service Interaction Wizard to create a service interaction for the operation.