9.84.1 Web Services Agents Overview

Owned by Jenni Wallin
Last updated: May 13, 2023 by Former user (Deleted)

Web Service is a software system that supports interaction between computers over a network.

The  Web Service agents communicate through SOAP in XML syntax, and use WSDL files.

The Web Service agents support:

  • Web Service Interoperability Organization Basic Profile 1.1

  • WSDL 1.1

  • XML 1.0

  • SOAP 1.1

  • Partial support of Web Service Security 1.1

  • HTTP 1.1

  • HTTP Basic Access Authentication

  • Updatable Authorization header per request

  • HTTPS

  • IPv4 and IPv6

The mustUnderstand attribute is only supported in Web Service Security headers. 

You enable Web Service transactions in  by defining a WS profile, or profiles, and including the Web Service agents and their configurations in a workflow.

Web Service Profile

In the WS profile you specify a WSDL file that mainly includes the following parts of a Web Service definition:

  • XML Schema: Defines information about the service either directly or via an XSD-file

  • WSDL: Communication relevant information

  • Binding elements:  supports only SOAP bindings

The WS profile can include more than one WSDL file references.

The WS profile is loaded when you start a workflow that depends on it. Changes to the profile become effective when you restart the workflow.

Saving a WS profile that is assigned with a WSDL file, maps data types that are specified in the WSDL Schema section as UDR types for the  workflow. For further information, see 9.84.3 Web Service UDR Type Structure.

The Web Service Agents

There are two Web Service agents that you can include in real-time workflows in the workflow configuration dialog:

  • The Web Service collection agent

  • The Web Service processing agent

Web Service Collection Agent

The collecting agent works in the same way as a Service Provider, or server, in the sense that it receives requests from a client, or clients, and transfers the requests to a workflow.

In a synchronous operation, when the collection agent receives a reply back from the workflow, it delivers the response to the requesting client.

In an asynchronous operation the collection agent does not receive any reply, and therefore does not respond the client.

The Web Service Provider - synchronous operation


The Web Service Provider - asynchronous operation

Web Service Processing Agent

The processing agent works in the same way as a Service Requester, or a client, that sends a request to a server, where a certain service is available.

In a synchronous operation, when the processing agent receives a reply, it delivers the reply to its configured output.

In an asynchronous operation, the requester does not receive any reply and does not deliver one, either.

The Web Service Requester


The Web Service Requester - asynchronous operation


Next:

9.84.2 Web Service Profile Configuration