IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Authoring services in Integration Designer > Services and service-related functions > Calling services

Web service bindings

You can use a web service binding to invoke existing web services and expose functionality within the module as a web service. A web service binding offers a way to enable an import or export for remote calls, or for a data request.

A web service binding provides a specification for transmitting messages to and from a web service. You can use a web service import binding to call an external web service to an import. You can use a web service export binding to provide a service to external clients as a web service.

Most components have WSDL interfaces. WSDL files are also used to describe services, ports, and bindings. A web service binding describes how the service is bound to a messaging protocol, particularly the SOAP messaging protocol. The web service binding of an export or import references a port. That port holds details of binding information for exports or imports. The port and service are generated automatically when you create the binding for an export; however, deleting an export or an import does not delete the port.

If you want to use a web service binding between exports and imports, you need to share the port. You can create an export with a web service binding and drag it into another module to create an import there with a matching interface. When a web service binding is generated for an export, a WSDL file is generated in the same folder as the interface. If you want to store interfaces in a library where they can be shared, do that before generating a web service binding for the export if you can. If you have already generated the export and the binding and need to share the interface and the port later, you will need to manually move the web service port.


Limitations

There can be many ports for an interface, but a port can only apply to one interface. Therefore, a component that needs to export or import multiple interfaces requires multiple exports or imports. Each export or import needs to have one interface and a web service binding configured with a corresponding port. The location of the port matches the location of the interface from which it is generated. Exports and imports use ports, but they do not own them.

Calling services