IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Authoring services in Integration Designer > Services and service-related functions > Calling services > WSDL import and export files
Interoperability with services from other vendors
Web Services Description Language (WSDL) files are commonly shared amongst users working on service oriented architecture (SOA) projects. Different users use different software vendors. The vendors have different interpretations of the WSDL standard. This section describes some helpful wizards that ensure WSDL files you import are compatible with IBM Integration Designer editors and WSDL files you export are compatible with other software vendors.
SOA projects by definition integrate a wide spectrum of applications. Although these applications are themselves defined as services, that is, they have an XML layer of code that separates them from the actual implementation, even that XML layer can have inconsistencies. These inconsistencies can lead to interoperability problems. Typically, these interoperability problems appear when enterprises are building their SOA applications with development products from several vendors. One common difference is that some vendors place an interface in one file and the references in that interface, that is, the schemas, in separate files. Other vendors place their schemas within the same file, a technique known as inline schemas.
Both types of vendors are technically correct as they both comply with the formal WSDL specification. Practically speaking, however, these two types of WSDL files lead to aggravating interoperability problems that can usually only be solved by manual workarounds.
If you are experiencing this interoperability problem, IBM Integration Designer has some helpful wizards.
- Importing WSDL or XSD files lets you import WSDL files into modules. IBM Integration Designer editors and wizards work with separate files for references in the interface.
If you import a WSDL file with inline schemas, the importing wizard can extract your inline schemas to separate files at the time of the import. Alternately, you can import the file and later extract the inline schemas to separate files using the refactoring WSDL files function.
- Export WSDL files lets you export WSDL files from modules to the file system. Since you are working with separate files for references in the interface while working in IBM Integration Designer, when you export you have the option of merging these separate files into the interface. You would use this function if you were sending this file to a user who works with inline schemas.
Related tasks:
Importing WSDL or XSD files
Export WSDL files
Related reference:
WSDL binding styles