Web Services

Before you begin

Before you can use the Administration Console to install, start, and configure WebLogic Web Services, you must create one.

The WebLogic Web Services programming model centers around JWS files and Ant tasks that execute on the JWS files. JWS files are Java files that use Java Web Service (JWS) metadata annotations (a new JDK 5.0 feature) to specify the shape and behavior of the Web Service. Programmers begin creating a Web Service by either programing the JWS file from scratch, or generating a stubbed-out version from an existing WSDL file (public contract of the Web Service) and updating it with their business logic Java code. Programmers then use the jwsc Ant task to generate, from the JWS file, a deployable J2EE application or module that represents the Web Service. These tasks are iterative; programmers keep coding and generating the Web Service until it works as they want.

As part of this iterative process, programmers also use the Administration Console to test that the generated Web Service deploys and works correctly. Later, administrators perform similar tasks on the completed Web Service, such as installing, starting, and further configuring the Web Service, as described in the sections below.

For detailed information and procedures about creating a WebLogic Web Service, see:

A Web Service is a Java class or a stateless session EJB that contains additional artifacts so that it can be invoked using SOAP. The additional artifacts include Web Service-specific deployment descriptors, a WSDL file (public contract of the Web Service) and data binding components to convert data between its internal Java representation and its external XML representation used in the request and response SOAP messages.

Web Services are deployed as either Web applications or EJBs, depending on their implementation. The Web applications or EJBs can be deployed on their own, or as part of an Enterprise Application. See View installed Web Services for instructions on viewing the Web Services that are currently installed on this Administration Server.

The following high-level procedure describes the types of administrative tasks you can perform on Web Services using the Administration Console.

If you have not already done so, in the Change Center of the Administration Console, click Lock & Edit (see Use the Change Center).
Install the Web Service to make its archive or exploded directory known to the Administration Console. See Install a Web Service.
Start the Web Service so that client applications can begin using it. See Start and stop a Web Service. This task also describes how to stop the Web Service so that client applications can no longer access it.
View the basic configuration of the Web Service. Basic configuration refers to the archive file in which the Web Service is pacakged, its deployed name and its name in the WSDL file, and so on. See View the Web Service configuration
View the SOAP message handlers associated with the Web Service. See View the SOAP message handlers of a Web Service.
View the WSDL of the Web Service. See View the WSDL of a Web Service.
Monitor the activity of the Web Service, such as the number of times it has been invoked and the time of the longest invoke. See Monitor a Web Service
Configure the JMS resources needed for reliable SOAP messaging and buffering. See Configure resources for reliable SOAP messaging.
Note:
You perform this task only if the Web Service has been previously programmed to use the reliable SOAP messaging or buffering features. See Using Reliable SOAP Messagingand Creating Buffered Web Services for information about programming these features for your Web Service.
Associate a WS-Policy file to the Web Service or its operations. WS-Policy files are used to configure message-level security and reliable SOAP messaging. See Associate a WS-Policy file with a Web Service.
Create the Web Service security configuration that is associated with the Web Service.
When programmers created the Web Service, they might have used the @WssConfiguration JWS annotation to associate a Web Service security configuration to the service. This associated Web Service security configuration is used to configure security features (in addition to those specified in any associated WS-Policy files), such as whether to use X.509 certificates to establish identity or use a password digest in a SOAP message.

See the following tasks:
Delete a Web Service. See Delete a Web Service.
To activate these changes, in the Change Center of the Administration Console, click Activate Changes.
Not all changes take effect immediately—some require a restart (see Use the Change Center).