WS-SecureConversation 

Use

This standard specified by OASIS for Web Services security describes how signatures and encryption are used to protect SOAP messages with X.509 certificates. With the defined security mechanism, a consumer can send a signed and encrypted message to a recipient. He or she uses the public key of the server to encrypt and the private key of the client to sign.

WS-SecureConversation

●      Secures SOAP communication over HTTP for Web Services

●      Defines how the provider and consumer communicate without using asymmetric encryption, since symmetric encryption saves time

●      Ensures unbroken communication, since the key is in the SOAP header (there is no need, for example, to interrupt communication with a reverse proxy)

●      Defines how a security context can be set up and shared and how to derive session keys

If not only one, but rather a number of messages are exchanged, it is more efficient for the communication partners to build and share a security context. Also, only public-key cryptography is used to negotiate symmetric keys.

SAP is initially using the security context primarily to allow WS-ReliableMessaging to reuse a security context, so that the server can contact the client.

Prerequisites

To use WS-SecureConversation, the following requirements must be met: No additional configuration is required.

●      To use WS-Security XML signatures and encryption with X.509 certificates, you need to enable the use of cryptographic functions for the AS ABAP system. More information: Digital Signatures and Encryption   

●      The corresponding option is selected in the configuration (for example, in SOAMANAGER).

●      Both the consumer and provider systems have an SSL trust relationship.

More information:

○       Configuring the AS ABAP for Supporting SSL   

○       Configuring the Use of SSL on the AS Java