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Overview: Online garden retailer web services scenarios

This set of scenarios is inspired by an online retailer called Plants by WebSphere . Plants by WebSphere uses web services support in WAS to improve communications with its suppliers. The more advanced scenarios describe web services support available only in particular editions of the application server. Consult the product documentation to confirm what is supported by your edition.

We might recognize Plants by WebSphere as a sample application available in the Samples section of the Information Center. These scenarios are loosely related. They describe how the fictional online retailer could use a variety of web services technologies, some of which are beyond those currently demonstrated by the sample.

Web services are middleware. Using web services we can connect applications together, no matter how each application is implemented or where it is located. For example, web services can connect retailers to wholesale suppliers. Middleware is not new. What is new in Web services is that this connectivity is based upon open standards and web technologies. Web services operate at a level of abstraction that is similar to the Internet, and they can work with any operating system, hardware platform, or programming language that can be Web-enabled.

The Plants by WebSphere storefront sells plants and gardening supplies. As customers order merchandise, the site checks the merchandise availability in its inventory database. The scenarios show how the inventory system can grow in stages, using various web services technologies to improve its capabilities.

At present, these scenarios provide descriptions rather than step by step instructions. To gain experience with web services coding, see the sample application. It provides detailed instructions for building, configuring, and running the Plants by WebSphere sample application and others.


Before web services

Suppose that the Plants by WebSphere storefront does not use web services. The garden retailer has established an impressive Internet storefront enabling customers to shop and order merchandise. To determine whether a customer order can be filled, web applications rely on enterprise beans to query the Plants by WebSphere inventory database. If the item is in stock, the site confirms the order to the customer.

If a customer orders an item that is out of stock, the site notifies the customer that the item is out of stock, and encourages the customer to place the item on backorder. Later, long after the customer has left the Plants by WebSphere site, the site administrator or inventory manager might call or fax the supplier to obtain more inventory.


Introducing web services

Use web services provides Plants by WebSphere an automated way to have out of stock items shipped to its warehouse or directly to customers. If suppliers can be contacted quickly enough, Plants by WebSphere does not have to inform its customers that the item was out of stock. Plants by WebSphere can begin to reduce its own inventory if doing so is a desirable business move.

Web services is built on the following core technologies:

The application server supports web services based on the JAX-WS and JAX-RPC programming models. JAX-WS is a new programming model that simplifies application development through support of a standard, annotation-based model to develop web services applications and clients. A JAX-RPC client and JAX-WS client can be used in the same module; therefore, the online retailer is still able to use its JAX-RPC applications. The application server makes it easy to configure and reuse configurations, so we can incorporate new Web services profiles. The JAX-WS standards support interoperable and reliable web services applications. The online retailer can send messages asynchronously, which means that the messages can communicate reliably even if one of the parties is temporarily offline, busy, or not available. By using these new technologies, the online retailer can be confident that its communication is reliable and reaches its destination while interoperating with other vendors.

Refer to the Samples section of the Information Center for additional Samples that demonstrate JAX-WS and JAX-RPC web services.

WebSphere software provides additional specifications and standards to help we get the most out of our web services.

For a complete list of the supported standards and specifications, see the web services specifications and API documentation.


Subtopics


Related:

  • Accessing the samples
  • Example: Installing a web services sample with the console
  • Task overview: Implementing web services applications
  • Web services specifications and APIs
  • Samples page on IBM site
  • XML specification on www.w3.org
  • WSDL specification on www.w3.org
  • SOAP specification on www.w3.org