One main benefit of the Service Data Object (SDO) framework (referred to as WDO for WebSphere® Application Server version 5.x) is that you have a disconnected, source-independent, and structured result set called a datagraph. The datagraph is independent of connections to the originating data store. The datagraph also can identify and remember changes made from its original state. This capability allows the mediator to easily extract changes and move them to a data source.
Datagraphs are also easily converted to and from XML documents, allowing them to be easily transferred between layers within tiered system architecture via HTTP. The datagraph structure is independent of data sources. In fact, different data source types (JDBC, EJB, CICS®) can produce identical datagraphs. This feature unifies the client-programming model and allows for the creation of GUI tools that can work identically across different data source types.
Note that you can find information on Service Data Objects (SDO) on the
Web by searching on the term, Eclipse Modeling Framework.