Web Services is a computing technique for systematically disseminating XML content, usually over a network. In its simplest form, one computer sends another computer a request for information in the shape of an HTTP request or an XML stream.
Web services provide interoperability between various software applications running on disparate platforms/operating systems. Web services use open standards and protocols. Protocols and data I: formats are text-based where possible, making it easy for developers to comprehend. By utilizing HTTP, web services can work through many common firewall security measures without requiring changes to the firewall filtering rules. Other forms of RPC may more often be blocked. Web services allow software and services from different companies and locations to be combined easily to provide an integrated service. Web services allow the reuse of services and components within an infrastructure.
Introduction of Integrated Web Services
Integrated Web Services (IWS) is committed to producing Web sites and other products that work for a world-wide, highly diverse audience. The base Web services engine in the integrated Web services server is comparable to the Version 6.1 Feature Pack for Web Services.
Integrated Web Services Overview
Integrated Web Services for i enables integrated language environment (ILE) applications to play in the Web services and Service Oriented Architecture (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.
Many businesses are seeing benefits in moving their information technology (IT) infrastructure to make greater use of standards as they roll out new applications and services, and to better exploit their existing infrastructure. In doing this, businesses have recognized that they need to become more flexible, allowing them to address new business opportunities more quickly by reusing more of their existing assets, including currently running business processes and applications.
By choosing to move to Web services and SOA, businesses can ensure that they design and build their IT infrastructure using an architectural style that supports service orientation. By linking together your business as a set of connected services, your IT infrastructure will be more flexible and responsive, allowing your business to be more flexible and responsive in turn.
The question for businesses is how to get there? Companies are hampered by the very technologies they rely on to run their businesses. Many of their core information IT applications written in ILE languages such as RPG and COBOL have been in service for years - even decades. Developed and optimized over a period of years, these applications are difficult to link to new technologies such as Web services and SOA - until now.
Getting started with Web services and SOA on i5/OS is easier than ever with the Integrated Web Services for i. The bottom line is that flexible businesses requires flexible IT, and the path to flexible IT is Web services and SOA.
What are integrated Web services for i5/OS?
The integrated Web services for i5/OS support are a term to describe the following technologies that are part of i5/OS:
The integrated Web services server
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 desterilizing Web service requests and responses.
Why would I want to use integrated Web services for i5/OS?
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 Web Sphere 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.
IWS prides itself on the level of testing performed on every product produced and every change implemented.
Every Web page must display properly in all browsers with any significant level of usage, and acceptably (if not pixel-perfect) in others that are obscure or obsolete.
All sites are automatically "crawled" for broken links and orphan pages, as well as being manually checked against a master page and content inventory and a functional specification.
All IWS sites meet accessibility standards, and meet the most current style standards for site access via computer screens, PDAs, and screen readers.
Every form, interactive or multimedia element, or programmed function is thoroughly reviewed for usability and tested for functional flaws.
All issues are tracked and all fixes are verified.
Post-launch, they monitor errors, redirection, pages not found, and performance for all sites.
IWS can also provide assistance in developing test plans, monitored user testing, and quality assurance (QA) testing, including automated load and performance testing, on a variety of platforms, for Web sites and applications developed by others.
