IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Create processes in IBM Process Designer > Modeling processes > Integrating with web services, Java and databases > Create outbound integrations > Integrating with web services

Configure a Web Service Integration step

Use a Web Service Integration step for a web service that is hosted externally. You can configure the WSDL properties, SOAP header information, authentication, and encryption properties for the external web service.

If the web service uses the SSL protocol, the certificate that is used by the target host must be installed in the IBM BPM environment as described in Secure communications using SSL. If the certificate is not installed, you get a No trusted certificate is found error when you try to discover the WSDL implementation properties.

Ensure that you know whether the service that you are requesting requires an additional SOAP header in web service messages. Conversely, if the web service has to process the request message, for example, for the security information, contact the web service provider to ensure that they can support your header.

If the web service uses X509 client and server certificates for both encrypting and signing the request, the certificates must be added to the IBM BPM keystore. In addition, configuration changes must be made to the 99Local.xml file as described in Set up message-level encryption.


Procedure

  1. In the Process Designer Designer view, create an integration service for the process application.

  2. Drag a Web Service Integration step from the palette to the diagram, and click the step to open the properties.

  3. Specify the location and properties of the web service WSDL file by clicking the Implementation properties tab.

    1. Populate the WSDL URI field. You can enter a URL, or use the Registry Explorer to discover it.

      1. Click Browse to start the Registry Explorer, and then select the registry type from the list.

      2. Select a registry URL or enter a new one.

      3. For protected web services, enable the Is Protected check box, and provide the user name and password, and click Next.

      4. Enter the name of the web service and click Search services. You can include wildcard characters in the name; for a UDDI registry use a percent sign (%), for a WebSphere Service Registry and Repository registry use an asterisk (*).

      5. Select a web service, click Next to see detailed information, and then Finish.
      If you use the Registry Explorer, the WSDL URL, Protected WSDL, Username, and Password fields are populated automatically.

      If you enter the URL manually, you must also provide the other information about the WSDL file.

    2. Populate the Operations field. Click Discover to find the WSDL file, and obtain the list of operations.

    3. Optional: Specify that the endpoint address URL can be overridden and provide an alternative endpoint address.

      You might want to specify an alternative endpoint address, for example, if you have different endpoints for development, test, staging, and production environments; or if your production environment does not have direct internet access and requests are routed through a proxy server or gateway.

      You can enter the new address as a String value, for example, https://provider.com/services/myService, or as a JavaScript expression that is wrapped by <#...#>.

    4. Extract the input and output variables from the WSDL file that are needed by the web service by clicking Generate Types. The Variables tab for the BPD is populated with the variables for the web service. Alternatively, you can manually enter the variables on the Variables tab, for example, to reuse a variable or a type definition.

      If you create a snapshot at a later point in time, the snapshot changes the namespace.

      You will need to use Generate Types again for complex types and then use the regenerated types as a replacements for the current types in the variables.

  4. Optional: Specify SOAP header properties by clicking the Header properties tab. You can add a SOAP header to a SOAP request, for example, to pass the security information to the web service. In addition, some WSDL files require that the SOAP messages that are passed between the process and the web service contain a header.

  5. Specify authentication and encryption properties for the web service by clicking the Security properties tab. These settings ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the messages that are exchanged with the web service.

    1. Specify the authentication method that is used by the web service, and provide the user name and password.

    2. Specify the certificate, encryption, and signature settings for both the client application and the web service server.

  6. Configure the input and output mappings for the parameters in the WSDL file by clicking the Data Mapping properties tab.

Create outbound integrations to web services