Creating SOAP APIs

Integrate different types of connectors in webMethods Integration by using SOAP APIs. The SOAP API contains the message formats, data types, transport protocols, and transport serialization formats that are used between the consumer (requester) and the provider of the web service. In essence, the SOAP API represents an agreement that governs the mechanics of interacting with that service.

About this task

In webMethods Integration, you can trigger project workflows and flow services through API endpoints. Add custom APIs or export existing APIs, link them with your project workflows and flow services, and make API requests to run the associated workflows and flow services. A SOAP API shows one or more flow services as operations, so each operation in a SOAP API corresponds to a flow service. The input for the flow service corresponds to the request body for the operation. The output of the flow is the response body for the operation.

Select one of the following methods to create the SOAP APIs:
  • Create from scratch/Design new API
  • Import API/I have an existing API
  • Import API using URL

Procedure

  1. Select a project and click APIs > SOAP API. The SOAP APIs page appears.
  2. Click Create API and select Create from scratch/Design new API.
  3. Click Next.
    The Basic Info page appears.
  4. In the Name field, provide a suitable name for the API.
    For example, Soap_api_test1.
  5. In the Description field, provide a short description for the API.
  6. In the Version field, select whether SOAP messages for this SOAP API use SOAP 1.1 or SOAP 1.2 message format.
    For example, use SOAP 1.1.
  7. Under Access network, select the networks from which the APIs can be accessed. A dedicated URL to the API access endpoint is enabled for each selected network type. The following access options are available.
    • Public domain creates and configures an endpoint that allows access to the API externally from the internet. This endpoint is listed under Public URL on the API details page. Always require authentication for APIs that are accessible from the public domain.
    • Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) creates an endpoint that allows access through an endpoint that is accessible only from an IBM webMethods network. This endpoint is listed under Private URL on the API details page.
    • IwHI capabilities in this environment creates an endpoint that allows access to the API only from other webMethods Hybrid Integration capabilities, but not externally from the internet. This endpoint is listed under Internal URL on the API details page. This option is enabled by default and cannot be disabled.
    Note: To enable the execution of an API from webMethods API Gateway, use the Internal URL for the API.

    Support for domains with -internal is going to be deprecated. Therefore, you must reconfigure the alias in the webMethods API Gateway by using the Internal URL provided under API Endpoints. Changes to the access network settings of existing APIs might take a while to propagate to ongoing API executions.

  8. Use and style for operations. A WSDL SOAP binding can be either a document style binding or a Remote Procedure Call \(RPC\) style binding. A SOAP binding can also have a literal or an encoded use. Select the use and style for operations in the SOAP API:
    1. Document - Literal
    2. RPC - Literal
    3. RPC - Encoded
    4. Select Document - Literal as an example.
  9. Select Flow service. Displays all the flow services available in the selected project. Select Flow service to use as an operation. The operation signature becomes the input and output messages for the operation in the WSDL document.
    For example, select "AddInts". -
  10. Enforce WS-I Basic Profile 1.1 compliance. Select this option to make flow services validate all SOAP API objects and properties against WS-I requirements during the SOAP API creation.
  11. Validate schema using Xerces. Flow service automatically uses an internal schema parser to validate the schemas associated with the XML schema definition. Select this option when you want flow services to also use the Xerces parser to validate the schemas associated with the XML schema definition. However, the Xerces parser provides stricter validation. As a result, some schemas that the internal schema parser considers to be valid might be considered invalid by the Xerces parser.
  12. Click Save. An API is successfully created and saved for your project.