Hi,
Please have a look at JSR 109 which is planned to be a part in the J2EE 1.4 specification.
I do not think that a separate container is required but I think that the new specification will build on existing facilities and provide for deployment etc
Here is what it proposes
Specifically, we will focus this JSR on:
The programming model for implementing a web service. This may include defining a new server side base classes and frameworks, specifying new APIs, defining new concrete subclasses of JSP, Servlet or an existing EJB type like MessageBean. Any extensions would be analogous to HttpServlet extending generic Servlet or the approach the Enterprise MediaBeans takes in defining subtypes of EntityBeans.
The client side programming model for using web services from Java. This would be analogous to the client programming model that EJB defines. This would explain how to use the APIs defined in JSRs 67, 93 and 101 in tandem. Again, the intent is to minimize new concepts introduced.
The specification would state how existing concepts, like the EJB transaction model, security for Servlets, EJBs, or HttpSession State materialize in web services usage and implementation.
Defining how to extend the basic Servlet/HTTP model to include dispatching web services over FTP, e-mail, etc. Again, this ideally references the existing JSRs/Java standards and focuses on the programming model and parts needed to support web services.
Define the concrete model for developing and deploying a web service on top of J2EE.
