Web Services - WSDL

Dr. Schahram Dustdar

Overview
What is WSDL?
WSDL alternatives?
WSDL discussion: pro‘s & con‘s
WSDL structure
What is WSDL?
Web Services Description Language
An XML format for describing network services as a set of
endpoints operating on messages containing either document-
oriented or procedure-oriented information
Bindings are described in conjunction with SOAP 1.1, HTTP
GET/POST and MIME data and protocol formats
WSDL documents provide
„ documentation for distributed systems to communicate
„ A recipe for automating the details involved in applications
communication
WSDL documents don‘t provide
„ Security information
„ QoS information
What is WSDL?
WSDL 1.1 submitted to W3C
Describes
„ Types
„ Messages
„ Port Types (Groups of operations)
Bindings (port type associated with protocol)
Ports (associations of bindings with network
address)
Services (groups of ports)
WSDL alternatives?
e-speak (Hewlett Packard)
Rosetta-net
RDF
WSDL pro‘s
Fits with SOAP (but not tied to it)
Flexible and layered
Example:WSDL & WebSphere
Application Server
WSDL Structure
WSDL identifies 4 elements of a service
description
„ Reuseable Descriptions
Š Type/Message Definitions
Š Abstract Interface Descriptions
Š Reuseable Protocol Bindings
„ Service Deployment
Š Endpoints of Deployed Services
WSDL Dokumentaufbau
Message Patterns - Overview
Message Patterns
One-Way
„ Analog zu Fire- and- Forget
„ Die Message wird vesendet; es wird keine Antwort erwartet.
Request/Response
„ Analog zu RPC
„ Der Sender sendet eine Message der Receiver sendet eine Antwort
darauf.
Solicit Response (noch offen)
„ Ein Request ohne Daten für eine Response.
„ Das Inverse einer One- Way Message
Notification (noch offen)
„ Mehrere Empfänger für eine Message (broadcast ähnlich)
„ Analog zu Publish/ Subscribe
Message Patterns 1/2
Message Patterns 2/2
Scenario
WSDL tags
WSDL Structure

Abstract
Description

Concrete
Description
Simple Web Service example
WSDL for example 1/3
WSDL for example 2/3
WSDL for example 3/3
Reuseable WSDL Specs as
tModels (WSDL und UDDI)
UDDI tModels provide a base for technical
service descripions
WSDL provides an XML schema for defining
reuseable technical specifications
A tModel that references a WSDL provides a
mechanism (via UDDI) by which compliant
services can be located and invoked