Work remotely with a deployment of Windows SharePoint Services
Windows SharePoint Services Web services provide methods that you can use to work remotely with a deployment of Windows SharePoint Services.
The Windows SharePoint Services Web services provided by the Microsoft.SharePoint.SoapServer namespace include methods for accessing content on a Web site—such as for working with lists or site data—as well as methods for customizing meetings, imaging, document workspaces, or search.
SOAP interfaces used in these services provide Microsoft .NET Framework developers with object models for creating solutions that work with Windows SharePoint Services remotely from a client or custom application. The interfaces are defined through the server-side object model of the Microsoft.SharePoint assembly, and their design is optimized to reduce the number of roundtrips transacted between client computer and server.
Most Web services provide their functionality through the /_vti_bin virtual directory, which maps to the \Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web Server extensions\12\ISAPI physical directory in the file system. The Administration Web service uses the /_vti_adm virtual directory, which maps to \12\ADMISAPI.
