Web Services Description Language (WSDL) files are commonly shared amongst users working on service oriented architecture (SOA) projects. Different users use different software vendors. The vendors have different interpretations of the WSDL standard. This section describes some helpful wizards that ensure WSDL files you import are compatible with WebSphere® Integration Developer editors and WSDL files you export are compatible with other software vendors.
SOA projects by definition integrate a wide spectrum of applications. Although these applications are themselves defined as services, that is, they have an XML layer of code that separates them from the actual implementation, even that XML layer can have inconsistencies. These inconsistencies can lead to interoperability problems. Typically, these interoperability problems appear when enterprises are building their SOA applications with development products from several vendors. One common difference is that some vendors place an interface in one file and the references in that interface, that is, the schemas, in separate files. Other vendors place their schemas within the same file, a technique known as inline schemas.
Both types of vendors are technically correct as they both comply with the formal WSDL specification. Practically speaking, however, these two types of WSDL files lead to aggravating interoperability problems that can usually only be solved by manual workarounds.
If you are experiencing this interoperability problem, WebSphere Integration Developer has some helpful wizards.
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