iSeries Access for Web V5R2 and WebSphere Host Publisher V4.0

212 iSeries Access for Web V5R2 and WebSphere Host Publisher V4.0

6.8 Web Services overview

Web Services provides a way for applications to connect and interact on the Web more easily

and efficiently. Web Services consists of self-contained, modular applications that can be

described, published, located, and invoked over the Web. Platform-neutral and based on

open standards, Web Services can be combined with each other in different ways to create

business processes that enable you to interact with customers, employees, and suppliers.

Typically, Web Services use Internet protocols, such as HTTP, use XML message formats,

and are plugged into Web Service registries where other developers can combine and deploy

them. Think of them as strategic building blocks for automated business processes that can

be deployed across your enterprise and shared with other enterprises.

Support for Web Services has been implemented in a number of IBM software products,

including WebSphere Application Server and WebSphere Studio tools (such as WebSphere

Studio Application Developer). Host Publisher V4.0 supports creation of Web Services using

Host Publisher Web Services support files with WebSphere Studio at the 4.0.2 level or above.

For more details, see Chapter 6, “Web Services” in

IBM WebSphere V4.0 Advanced Edition

Handbook

, SG24-6176.

6.8.1 Host Publisher V4.0 Web Services support

You can use the Host Access and Database Access components of Host Publisher Studio to

create supporting files that enable Host Publisher Integration Objects and EJB access beans

to be deployed as Web Services. Application Integrator assembles these Java objects (and

optionally JSP pages that reference the Java objects) into a J2EE EAR file. You can then

import the EAR file into a new or existing WebSphere Studio project, where you can create

and deploy Web Services. Once you complete development and test your Web Services

application within WebSphere Studio Application Developer, you can deploy the application

on WebSphere Application Server.

When you create Web Services Integration Object support in Host Publisher Studio with Host

Access or Database Access, Web Services support files are generated during the creation of

the Integration Object.

The Web Services support files consist of:

 A properties object (named

IONamePropertiesObjectSuffix), where

IOName

is name of

the Integration Object and

PropertiesObjectSuffix

is the name specified for the Web

Services Properties Object Suffix. The properties object contains all possible input and

output properties for the Integration Object.

 A helper object (named

IONameHelperObjectSuffix), where

IOName

is the name of the

Integration Object and

HelperObjectSuffix

is the name specified for the Web Services

Helper Object Suffix. This helper object extends the Integration Object. It initializes the

input properties using an instance of the properties object, invokes the Integration Object

with the specified input properties, and then returns the output properties via a new

instance of the properties object. If you plan to create an Integration Object Web Service

within a Web application, you use the helper object to create the Web Service using

WebSphere Studio tools.

If you want to create Web Services using Host Publisher EJB access beans, you must create

EJB 1.1 Integration Object support, which generates Web Services support files. Use the EJB

access bean to create the Web Service using WebSphere Studio tools.