Editing Service discovery (section)

{{Short description|Automatic detection of devices and services on a computer network}}
{{About|a type of network protocols|the multimedia session initiation protocol|Session Description Protocol}}
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'''Service discovery''' is the process of automatically detecting devices and services on a [[computer network]]. It aims to reduce the manual configuration effort required from users and administrators. A '''service discovery protocol''' ('''SDP''') is a [[network protocol]] that helps accomplish service discovery. 

Service discovery requires a common language to allow software agents to make use of one another's services without the need for continuous user intervention.<ref>{{cite journal|accessdate=2008-03-13|url=http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=00048144-10D2-1C70-84A9809EC588EF21| title=The Semantic Web  |journal=[[Scientific American]]|date=2001-05-01|author=Berners-Lee, Tim |volume = 284|issue = 5|pages = 34–43|doi = 10.1038/scientificamerican0501-34 |bibcode = 2001SciAm.284e..34B| url-access=subscription}}</ref>