Integrated Web Services for i

What is integrated Web services for IBM i? 

The integrated Web services for IBM i support is a term to describe the following technologies that are part of IBM i:

1. The integrated Web services server
2. The integrated Web services client for ILE

The integrated Web services server is a fully functional Web services server in which ILE-based program objects can be deployed as Web services.

The integrated Web services client for ILE allows ILE-based applications to act as Web service clients by generating C or C++ stubs that can be invoked by an ILE program. The stubs remove the complexity of the Web service protocol by taking care of serializing and deserializing Web service requests and responses.

Why would I want to use integrated Web services for IBM i? 

Web services and SOA is the key to flexible information technology (IT) infrastructure, allowing businesses to be more flexible and responsive. For those of you who are already on the path to Web services and SOA using WebSphere Application Server and related technologies, there probably is no reason to use integrated Web services server. But for the rest of you who have been tackling issues such as lack of skills, resources (system and human), and time, this technology is for you.

The integrated Web services server and the integrated Web services client for ILE enables ILE applications to play in the Web services and SOA arena with very little effort, knowledge and resources. The convergence of Web service and IBM i technologies can help enterprises liberate these core business assets by making it easier to enrich, modernize, extend and reuse them well beyond their original scope of design.

How can I obtain Integrated Web Services for i? 

Load the prerequisites and PTFs listed on the Support page.

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What is the Web services engine based on? 

The Web services engine that is used by the integrated Web services server is based on Apache Axis2.

What Web service standards does the integrated Web services server support? 

The Web services server supports:

• WSDL 1.1 is the only supported WSDL level
• SOAP 1.1 is the only supported over-the-wire protocol

What is the difference between the integrated Web services server and the Web services support in WebSphere Application Server? 

The base Web services engine in the integrated Web services server is comparable to the Version 6.1 Feature Pack for Web Services. Both use the as their Web services engine Apache Axis2 technologies. The main differences include:

1. Deployment model.
2. The WebSphere Feature Pack for Web Services supports much more of the Web services standards such as Web Services Reliable Messaging (WS-RM) and WS-Security 1.1 enhancements

How do I enable SSL? 

When an integrated Web services server is created, a corresponding HTTP server is also created. You will need to enable SSL for the HTTP server and go through the port exposed by the HTTP server when invoking a Web service operation. If you by-pass the HTTP server and go directly to the integrated Web services server ports, you will be limited to non-SSL connections.

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What programming language does the integrated language environment (ILE) program object have to be written in so I can deploy it as a service in the integrated Web services server? 

You can write the ILE program object in ILE RPG, COBOL, and C. In addition, the program object can be written in C++ as long as the exported procedures are not C++ interfaces and the program object is a service program.

How can I create a COBOL or RPG program object so that the PCML is stored as part of the program object? 

A new feature has been added to IBM i that gives you the ability to store PCML data as part of the module (*MODULE) object. For V6R1, you can do this by using the PGMINFO parameter as follows:

RPG:     CRTRPGMOD PGMINFO(*PCML *MODULE)
COBOL:   CRTCBLMOD PGMINFO(*PCML *MODULE)

For V5R4 (after PTFs are applied), the following codes must be in the source member.

RPG:     H PGMINFO(*PCML:*MODULE)
COBOL:   PROCESS OPTIONS PGMINFO(PCML MODULE)

Can I move the service that is deployed on the integrated Web services server to WebSphere Application Server?

At this time it would require some effort to do so. The Java beans and associated configuration files that are used to represent the ILE-based Web service would need to be packaged in the proper format expected by WebSphere in order for the Web service to be deployed.

Can I deploy Java-based Web services? 

At the present time, no.

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What is the Web services client for ILE based on? 

The integrated Web services client for ILE is based on Apache Axis C++ (link resides outside of ibm.com).

What standards does the integrated Web services client for ILE support? 

The Web services client for ILE supports:

• WSDL 1.1 is the only supported WSDL level
• SOAP 1.1 is the only supported over-the-wire protocol (as compliant with ws-i basic profile 1.1)

What programming language does the ILE client application have to be written in to use the stubs generated by the wsdl2ws.sh tool? 

You can write the ILE Web service client applications in the following ILE programming languages: RPG, COBOL, C and C++.

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