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API SOAP Request activity

Introduction

An API SOAP Request activity, using its preconfigured API connection, retrieves data when called by an API Manager custom API and is intended to be used as a target to consume data in an operation.

The API SOAP Request activity can be configured using a WSDL schema only. To interact with an API connection using a JSON, XML, CSV, or XSD schema, use a non-SOAP API Request activity instead. To interact with a SOAP connection without using a custom API, use the SOAP connector.

For information on the relationship between API connector activities and API Manager APIs, see these resources:

Create an API SOAP Request activity

An instance of an API SOAP Request activity is created from the preconfigured API connection using its SOAP Request activity type.

To create an instance of an activity, drag the activity type to the design canvas or copy the activity type and paste it on the design canvas. For details, see Create an activity or tool instance in Component reuse.

An existing API SOAP Request activity can be edited from these locations:

Configure an API SOAP Request activity

Follow these steps to configure an API SOAP Request activity:

Step 1: Enter a name and specify settings

In this step, provide a name for the activity and select the method to be used for uploading the WSDL schema. Each user interface element of this step is described below.

API SOAP Request activity configuration step 1

  • Name: Enter a name to identify the activity. The name must be unique for each API SOAP Request activity and must not contain forward slashes / or colons :.

  • Upload URL, Upload file, or Select existing: Use the radio button to select the source of the WSDL file to upload or reuse. Files up to 5 MB in size can be uploaded.

    • Upload URL: Enter the URL of the WSDL file into the text box, then click Upload. The URL must be accessible without authentication, or you will receive an error at runtime. If uploading a WSDL with the same name as an existing WSDL, see Possible errors later on this page.

    • Upload file: Click Browse (located on the right) to locally browse to a WSDL or ZIP file. If providing a ZIP file, it must contain a single WSDL file (though it can contain any XSD files that the WSDL is dependent on). Then click Upload.

      Note

      Any schemaLocation must be resolved to a local file using a relative reference. This usually means that instead of supplying a tuple such as:

      xsi:schemaLocation='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/mime/ http://ws-i.org/profiles/basic/1.1/wsdlmime-2004-08-24.xsd'

      you would supply:

      xsi:schemaLocation='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/mime/ wsdlmime-2004-08-24.xsd'

      In the above example, the XSD file wsdlmime-2004-08-24.xsd is located either in the same directory or on a path relative to the WSDL being loaded.

    • Select existing: Use the dropdown to select from an existing WSDL file that has previously been used in the current project.

  • Port: Use the dropdown to select the appropriate port.

  • Service and Binding: By default, these fields autopopulate based on the WSDL and port provided and cannot be edited.

  • Operation: Use the dropdown to select the method from the provided WSDL that you want to execute with this activity.

  • Save & Exit: If enabled, click to save the configuration for this step and close the activity configuration.

  • Next: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and continue to the next step. The configuration will not be saved until you click the Finished button on the last step.

  • Discard Changes: After making changes, click to close the configuration without saving changes made to any step. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.

Step 2: Review the data schemas

Any request or response schemas generated from the endpoint are displayed:

API SOAP Request activity configuration step 2

  • Data Schemas: The request and response schemas for this activity are displayed. These data schemas are inherited by adjacent transformations are displayed again during transformation mapping.

  • Back: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and return to the previous step.

  • Finished: Click to save the configuration for all steps and close the activity configuration.

  • Discard Changes: After making changes, click to close the configuration without saving changes made to any step. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.

Possible errors

The following sections cover errors that may occur during activity configuration.

Unable to upload WSDL

When replacing a WSDL by re-uploading one with the same name using Upload URL or Upload File, and the replacement WSDL's operations are not named the same as those in use by existing activities, or if in-use WSDL operations are missing from the replacement WSDL, this error may occur:

This WSDL cannot be replaced because it is missing WSDL operations that are use by existing activities. Delete these activities from the project pane's Components tab and try again.

To resolve, ensure WSDL operations are named the same as any that are currently in use by existing activities.

Failed to deploy

When deploying an operation whose SOAP Request activity's WSDL file has been replaced, you may receive this error:

Failed to deploy - Client Error: There is no uploaded file with client path ... Upgrade to the 8.4.0 Studio or higher and deploy the project again.

To resolve, follow these steps:

  1. Open the activity where the WSDL file has been replaced.

  2. On step 1, re-select the WSDL file to be used for the activity and then click Next.

  3. On step 2, click Finish.

  4. Deploy the operation.

Next steps

After configuring an API SOAP Request activity, complete the configuration of the operation by adding and configuring other activities or tools as operation steps. You can also configure the operation settings, which include the ability to chain operations together that are in the same or different workflows.

Menu actions for an activity are accessible from the project pane and the design canvas. For details, see Activity actions menu in Connector basics.

API SOAP Request activities can be used as a target with these operation patterns:

When ready, deploy the operation and validate behavior by checking the operation logs.

Note

Operations with an API SOAP Request activity as its first operation step cannot be executed manually using the operation Deploy and Run or Run options. Instead, these operations require data that is provided when an API call is made using a custom API created through API Manager. An API may be called from an application or — if the API supports GET — you can paste the URL into a web browser to consume the API manually.

Important

By default, successful operations configured for a custom API are not included in the operation logs unless one of these settings is enabled:

Unsuccessful operations are included in the operation logs whether the above settings are enabled or not.

Configure an API Manager custom API

Once the operation is configured and deployed, configure a custom API using API Manager.

Note

After you have configured a custom API to call an Integration Studio operation, you cannot delete the operation without either deleting the API or changing the API's configuration to no longer call the operation.