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HTTP bindings

The HTTP binding is designed to provide Service Component Architecture (SCA) connectivity to HTTP. Consequently, existing or newly-developed HTTP applications can participate in Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) environments.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a widely-used protocol for transferring information on the web. When you are working with an external application that uses the HTTP protocol, an HTTP binding is necessary. The HTTP binding transforms the data that is passed in as a message in native format to a business object in an SCA application. The HTTP binding also can transform the data that is passed out as a business object to the native format expected by the external application.

If you want to interact with clients and services that use the web services SOAP/HTTP protocol, consider using one of the web service bindings, which provide additional functionality with respect to handling web services standard qualities of service.

Some common scenarios for using the HTTP binding are described in the following list:

• SCA-hosted services can invoke HTTP applications using an HTTP import.
• SCA-hosted services can expose themselves as HTTP-enabled applications, so they can be used by HTTP clients, using an HTTP export.
• IBM BPM and Process Server can communicate between themselves across an HTTP infrastructure, consequently users can manage their communications according to corporate standards.
• IBM BPM and Process Server can act as mediators of HTTP communications, transforming and routing messages, which improves the integration of applications using a HTTP network.
• IBM BPM and Process Server can be used to bridge between HTTP and other protocols, such as SOAP/HTTP Web services, Java™ Connector Architecture (JCA)-based resource adapters, JMS, and so on.

Detailed information about creating HTTP import and export bindings can be found in the Integration Designer information center. See the Developing integration applications > Accessing external services with HTTP> topics.

• HTTP bindings overview
  

  The HTTP binding provides connectivity to HTTP-hosted applications. It mediates communication between HTTP applications and allows existing HTTP-based applications to be called from a module.

• HTTP headers
  HTTP import and export bindings allow configuration of HTTP headers and their values to be used for outbound messages. The HTTP import uses these headers for requests, and the HTTP export uses them for responses.
• HTTP data bindings
  For each different mapping of data between a Service Component Architecture (SCA) message and an HTTP protocol message, a data handler or an HTTP data binding must be configured. Data handlers provide a binding-neutral interface that allows reuse across transport bindings and represent the recommended approach; data bindings are specific to a particular transport binding. HTTP-specific data binding classes are supplied; you can also write custom data handlers or data bindings.

Binding types