Evaluating Web Services for FDMS Cynthia Loitch OAR/PMEL (PI) Eugene Burger OAR/PMEL NOAA Research Webshop 2003 Longmont, CO 3-5 June 2003

Overview What are Web Services, SOAP and FDMS? What are Web Services, SOAP and FDMS? Goals Goals Evaluation process Evaluation process Requirements for FDMS? Requirements for FDMS? Architecture Architecture Implementation Implementation Impressions Impressions Conclusion Conclusion

Web Services & SOAP Web services is a misnomer; it has nothing to do with the Web Web services is a misnomer; it has nothing to do with the Web Web services encompass a set of related standards that enable computer applications to communicate and exchange data via the Internet. Web services encompass a set of related standards that enable computer applications to communicate and exchange data via the Internet. Web Services are a technology for exposing a software API to the Internet Web Services are a technology for exposing a software API to the Internet Web Services Abstraction allow independent alteration of client and/or server configuration Web Services Abstraction allow independent alteration of client and/or server configuration Technologies utilized: Technologies utilized: HTTP HTTP XML – eXtensible Markup Language XML – eXtensible Markup Language SOAP – Simple Object Access Protocol SOAP – Simple Object Access Protocol W3c Standard supported by Microsoft, IBM etc. W3c Standard supported by Microsoft, IBM etc. An XML based protocol that enables applications to communicate over the internet by using XML documents called SOAP messages. An XML based protocol that enables applications to communicate over the internet by using XML documents called SOAP messages.

SOAP Message structure

FDMS FDMS is the Financial Database Management System utilized by NOAA Research FDMS is the Financial Database Management System utilized by NOAA Research Commitment tracking software Commitment tracking software Used throughout NOAA Research Used throughout NOAA Research 19 offices located throughout the U.S. 19 offices located throughout the U.S. Remote access via Citrix Server Remote access via Citrix Server Migrating system to a single SQLServer database Migrating system to a single SQLServer database Considering alternative client technologies with this database Considering alternative client technologies with this database

Goals To answer the question: To answer the question: Are Web Services with SOAP a viable client- server technology alternative for use in the next generation of the FDMS application?

Evaluation process Familiarize ourselves with technology Familiarize ourselves with technology Server infrastructure Server infrastructure Client options Client options Bandwidth restraints, if any Bandwidth restraints, if any

Requirements Client server application Client server application Secure data transfer Secure data transfer Authenticated user sessions Authenticated user sessions

Query page Screen snapshot of the dataset selection webpage Screen snapshot of the dataset selection webpage Asking to see information on Credit Card data download from CAMS Asking to see information on Credit Card data download from CAMS

Result set rendering Screen snapshot of the results web page Screen snapshot of the results web page Shows when Credit Card data downloads occurred Shows when Credit Card data downloads occurred

API exposed by the Web Services 2 methods exposed 2 methods exposed getDownloadDates(String) getDownloadDates(String) getDownloadSets(Date) getDownloadSets(Date)

SOAP Invocation message HTTP Post Header Post /ccx/DownloadMonitor HTTP/1.0 Content-Lentgh: 541 Host: Localhost Content-Type: text/xml; charset=utf-8 SOAPAction: "Axis:DownloadMonitor:DownloadService#getDownload Dates"

SOAP Invocation message Root element - namespace declarations <SOAP-ENV:Envelope SOAP- ENV:encodingStyle=" encoding/" SOAP- ENV:encodingStyle=" encoding/" xmlns:SOAP- ENV=" xmlns:SOAP- ENV=" xmlns:xsd= xmlns:xsd= xmlns:SOAP- ENC=" xmlns:SOAP- ENC="

SOAP Invocation message Root element - envelope body <SOAP-ENV:Body> FIMAOO</DataSet></ns1:getDownloadDates></SOAP-ENV:Body><SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

SOAP response message HTTP/ OK Content-Type: text/xml; charset=utf-8 Content-Length: 580 Date: Mon, 26 May :23:34 GMT

SOAP response message <SOAP-ENV:Envelope SOAP- ENV:encodingStyle=" /encoding/" SOAP- ENV:encodingStyle=" /encoding/" xmlns:SOAP- ENV=" xmlns:SOAP- ENV=" xmlns:xsd= xmlns:xsd= xmlns:SOAP- ENC=" xmlns:SOAP- ENC="

SOAP response message <SOAP-ENV:Header/><SOAP-ENV:Body SOAP- ENV:encodingStyle=" <cc1:getDownloadDatesResponse xmlns:cc1="axis:DownloadMonitor:DownloadService" SOAP- ENC:root="1"> 1/29/2003 3:33:30 PM </return>

Conclusion FDMS Applicability FDMS Applicability Tomcat and Axis server configuration settings can be complex Tomcat and Axis server configuration settings can be complex SOAP messages have some bandwidth overhead SOAP messages have some bandwidth overhead this could be mitigated by using compression this could be mitigated by using compression Custom software could simplify (FDMS) architecture Custom software could simplify (FDMS) architecture Because the user community is limited, custom written architecture is an option with FDMS. Because the user community is limited, custom written architecture is an option with FDMS. Industry standard Web Services does allow us to alter server / client applications independently Industry standard Web Services does allow us to alter server / client applications independently Client technologies, maybe using Web Services, will be considered Client technologies, maybe using Web Services, will be considered Microsoft InfoPath Microsoft InfoPath Acrobat forms Acrobat forms

Promising new technologies Microsoft InfoPath Microsoft InfoPath InfoPath 2003 (formerly code-named "XDocs") InfoPath 2003 (formerly code-named "XDocs") New Microsoft Office addition (2003) New Microsoft Office addition (2003) helps teams and organizations gather and share information by creating rich, dynamic XML–based forms. helps teams and organizations gather and share information by creating rich, dynamic XML–based forms. Also XML & WebServices based Also XML & WebServices based

Conclusion Our experience has lead us to science applications for which Web Services and SOAP are well suited. Our experience has lead us to science applications for which Web Services and SOAP are well suited. We will be developing Web Services for NOAA TAO El Nino buoy data in FY03 We will be developing Web Services for NOAA TAO El Nino buoy data in FY03