Defining Web Services 

Use

This function enables you to create a WSDL description for a synchronous message interface from the Integration Repository and a sender. An external Web service platform, for example, can then use the Web service description to generate an outbound proxy that it can then use to send a SOAP message.

The advantage of this communication scenario is that you can provide an external business partner, who has no access to XI content, with a WSDL description of an interface that is defined in the Integration Repository (for example, by sending it as an e-mail). On the basis of this interface description, the business partner can send a message directly to the Integration Server without having to configure a sender SOAP adapter to deal with the inbound processing of the message.

Although this means that the inbound processing of the message is dealt with in this communication scenario, for the message to be processed further (routing and outbound processing), the relevant receiver determinations, interface determinations, and receiver agreements still need to be defined in the Integration Directory. The corresponding configuration objects are identified by the entries for the party, service, and outbound interface in the message header (by using the object key).

You can create WSDL descriptions from both outbound and inbound message interfaces.

For this communication scenario, the quality of service is set to Best Effort (BE) and the communication mode is synchronous.

Activities

To create a Web service document, proceed as follows:

...

       1.      In the Integration Builder (Integration Directory) menu bar choose Tools  ® Define Web Service.

The assistant for defining Web service documents is called.

       2.      Choose Continue.

       3.      Enter the URL of the Web server that is to receive the Web service.

Click Propose URL () to specify the URL of the Integration Server entered in the System Landscape Directory.

       4.      Choose Continue.

       5.      Specify a synchronous message interface from the Integration Repository for which you want to create the Web service document (input help ).

       6.      Choose Continue.

       7.      Enter the sender of the message (party, service, and outbound interface).

The information about the sender of the message (party, service, and outbound interface) is required by the Integration Server to format the XI-message header.

       8.      Choose Continue.

An overview of all the information that will be used to create the Web service document is then displayed.

       9.      Choose Finish.

   10.      Save your entries.

Example

An airline has installed SAP Exchange Infrastructure and therefore has access (by using the Integration Repository) to all message interfaces that are required for integration scenarios involved in booking flights (see for example the demo example Checking Flight Seat Availability). The airline needs to exchange messages with a travel agency (Web service platform) that does not have direct access to XI content. The airline therefore makes the WSDL description for the outbound interface FlightSeatAvailabilityQuery available to the travel agency (for example, by sending it in an e-mail). The travel agency can then generate an outbound proxy to send a seat availability query for a flight.