IBM FileNet P8, Version 5.2.1            

About Web Services in workflows

Workflow system leverages Web Services technology to enable workflow authors to define message interaction between FileNet® P8 processes, as well as between FileNet P8 workflows and other business processes.

Workflow system provides three Web Services features:
There are two modalities you can use to create or invoke a Web Service:

Invoking a Web Service provided by your company, a partner, or from a public UDDI registry

To invoke a Web Service, you need the description (WSDL) of the service, with the expected parameters and the endpoint where the service can be executed. Services are available in WSRR registries, UDDI registries, from business partners, or from your own FileNet P8 workflows designed to provide a Web Service. Process Configuration Console and Process Designer provide interfaces for configuring and defining your Web Services.
  • Using Process Configuration Console, an administrator familiar with Web Services can specify a limited list of WSRR or UDDI registries with appropriate Web Services for an isolated region. This optional step provides a conveniently filtered list of registries that workflow authors can search to locate Web Services to use in workflow definitions. As an alternative, the administrator can allow workflow authors to type in the complete WSDL URL as Partner Links for Web Services that they will use in a particular workflow definition.
  • Using Process Designer, the workflow author completes the following steps to invoke a Web Service as a step in a workflow.
    • In Workflow Properties Partner Links, select Web Services to invoke, either by selecting from the WSRR registry list or UDDI registry list specified in Process Configuration Console, or by directly typing in the location of the WSDL.
    • Place an Invoke step at the appropriate location on the workflow map, and select the desired Web Service from the list. Process Designer interprets the WSDL to detect required parameters.
    • Define appropriate data fields for input and output parameters for the Web Service.

      For complex outgoing and incoming messages, you can also define XML schemas, XML data fields, and correlation sets, as required for your application.

    Note: A FileNet P8 workflow cannot invoke a web service that is deployed on a web server that requires authentication for access.

Providing a Web Service for use within your company, to partners, or for public use

To provide a Web Service, you create a workflow with a Receive step, then make it available for use by other FileNet P8 workflows or outside partners.
  • Use Process Designer to define the Web Service, specifying a receive/reply Partner link, and defining any appropriate data fields for input parameters and reply parameters. If an attachment might be part of the input, specify a folder where the incoming attachment will be stored.
  • Place a Receive step at the appropriate location on the workflow map, and specify the appropriate Partner Link and the various input parameters for the Web Service.
  • Add a Reply step to the workflow map to specify the reply message for the Web Service.
  • To make the Web Service available to other workflow within the isolated region, transfer the workflow containing the Receive step to the workflow database.

    To make the Web Service available for use outside the isolated region by either another FileNet P8 workflow or an outside process, you publish the Web Service to either a private UDDI Registry or to a public UDDI Registry using Process Configuration Console

Advanced features

Authentication and security
Using the built-in authentication option in the Receive step, you can specify that a logon and password is required for a request.
Correlation
By configuring correlation sets in Invoke, Receive, and Reply functions, you can identify specific conversations between Web Services. For example, in a purchase order conversation between the buyer and supplier, an order number can be used to identify the appropriate messages between the buyer and supplier.
Attachments
You can pass attachments by reference between two FileNet P8 workflow systems that have access to the same object store. The attachment reference information is included in the message.
You can pass attachments by value between any Web Services applications. When an attachment is passed by value, the complete document is sent in the Web Service message.


Last updated: March 2016
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