WSDL security editor overview

With the WSDL security editor you can create the SOAP algorithm stacks that are associated with a web service operation. Algorithm stacks contain digital certificate information and the security algorithms that are applied to messages to perform secure communication with a web service.

After you create an algorithm stack, you associate it with an operation that is specified in the Web Services Description Language (WSDL) file of the web service. Algorithm stacks remain available in the workspace and you can reuse them with other WSDL files. You can also edit a test to make the same web service call several times with different security configurations.

You use the WSDL security editor to create and edit security configurations. The WSDL security editor contains two pages that correspond to the steps of setting up a security configuration:
  • Describing a security stack
  • Associating a security stack with each WSDL operation

Algorithm stacks

Algorithm stacks contain one or several algorithm blocks that are arranged in a sequence of steps. Each algorithm block modifies or transforms the message content. Algorithm blocks can add timestamps to, add tokens to, encrypt, or sign messages.

Use the Algorithm Stacks page of the WSDL security editor to create stacks for service requests and responses. When a message is sent or received, each algorithm block in the stack is executed in the specified order. For example, you can define a request stack for outgoing requests that adds a timestamp, signs, and then encrypts the message content, and you can define a response stack that decrypts incoming responses. You can create as many algorithms as your application requires.

You can edit algorithm blocks and move them up and down in the stack. Encryption and signature blocks can use keystores for digital certificates. Some algorithm blocks display messages that help you enter correct information. If the contents of the algorithm block are invalid, an error icon is displayed.

Raw transaction data view

When a stack is associated with a service request or response, viewing the results of each transformation step that is applied to the XML message content can be useful. You can use the Raw Transaction Data view to look at the message content before and after each algorithm in the stack.

Digital certificate keystores

You can add digital certificate keystores to a security stack to use with encryption or signature algorithms. Keystores must be declared with their associated passwords before the algorithms that use them. Digital certificates are contained in Java™ keystore files (KS, JKS, JCEKS, PKCS12, and PEM) that must be located in your workspace.

Associating stacks with WSDL operations

Use the Algorithms by WSDL operations page of the WSDL security editor to associate a security algorithm stack with each web service call and message return in the WSDL file.