Journal of Information Technology & Software Engineering
Open Access

Comprehending Web Services Description Language (WSDL) Function in Network Function Virtualization

Marco Angela^{* *}Correspondence: Marco Angela, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, Email:

Author info »

Description

To create services that are discoverable and interconnected it is essential to comprehend the role that Web Services Description Language (WSDL) plays in web service development. A web service's functionality is described using the XML-based Web Services Description Language (WSDL). It acts as an agreement between the customer and the service provider, describing the protocols, message formats, input and output parameters, and actions that the service supports. By offering a standardized method of service description, WSDL facilitates smooth communication and integration amongst disparate systems. Network services can be described as a collection of endpoints that process messages that contain information that is either procedure- or document-oriented using the XML standard known as WSDL. In order to define an endpoint, the actions and messages are first abstractly explained and then connected to a specific network protocol and message format. Concrete WSDL and Abstract WSDL are the two categories of WSDL files. Concrete WSDL will be developed after deployment, but Abstract WSDL will be created during design. Binding and Service elements are absent from abstract WSDL but are present in concrete WSDL.

Significance of WSDL

Interoperability: WSDL plays a pivotal role in achieving interoperability between web services. By providing a standardized description of service interfaces and data types, WSDL allows clients to communicate with services implemented on different platforms and technologies.

Discoverability: WSDL facilitates service discovery by offering a machine-readable description of available services and their operations. Clients can dynamically discover and invoke services based on their WSDL documents, promoting agility and flexibility in service consumption.

Contract first development: WSDL encourages a contract-first approach to web service development, where service interfaces are defined upfront using WSDL documents. This approach changes clear communication between service providers and consumers, ensuring adherence to agreed-upon specifications and avoiding potential interoperability issues.

Tooling support: A multitude of development tools and frameworks are available to facilitate the construction, consumption, and administration of web services through WSDL support. The development process can be streamlined by developers by using tools to create client-side substitutes, serverside carcasses, and documentation based on WSDL documents.

The service element defines the endpoint of the web service and contains one or more port elements representing the binding between the service and a specific network protocol. The port type element defines a set of abstract operations supported by the service, including their input and output messages. It serves as an interface contract that must be implemented by the service provider. The operation element defines an individual operation exposed by the service, specifying its name, input and output messages, and any faults that may occur during invocation. The message element describes the format and structure of input and output messages exchanged between the client and service. It consists of one or more parts, each representing a distinct parameter or data element. The binding element specifies the concrete protocol and message format used to access the service. It associates the abstract operations defined in the port type with specific communication protocols, such as Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) over Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or Representational State Transfer (REST) HTTP.

WSDL facilitates service discovery by providing a machinereadable description of available services. Clients can dynamically retrieve WSDL documents from service endpoints and use them to understand service capabilities and interfaces. Documents can be used to generate client-side substitutes, serverside carcasses, allowing developers to interact with web services using native programming languages and frameworks. Tools can parse WSDL files and generate code stubs that abstract away lowlevel communication details. WSDL serves as comprehensive documentation for web services, detailing service interfaces, operations, and message formats. It provides valuable insights for service consumers, enabling them to understand how to interact with the service effectively. Integration and interoperability promotes consistent integration and interoperability between heterogeneous systems by providing a standardized means of service description. Services implemented on different platforms and technologies can communicate with each other using WSDL as a common interface. It gives service providers, independent of the underlying run-time implementation, a straightforward means to define the fundamental structure of requests to their systems. WSDL can be dynamically updated by users, allowing for easy transitions to new patterns. The overall amount of Line of Code (LOC) required to access web services is decreased using WSDL. All programming languages can easily read WSDL files because they are written in plain old XML format.