In SOAP messages, header information and body information of request messages is allocated in business process variables so that this information can be used in a business process. When this information is returned as a response message, header information and body information are regenerated from the variable.

The following figure shows the relation between a SOAP message and a business process:

Figure 2-21 Relation between SOAP message and business process

Steps 1 to 5 given in the figure are described here.

Description

1. For reception from the service requester, a request message (SOAP message) setting the parameters required for the business process is returned.
2. A business process is started from reception. At this stage, header information and body information set in the SOAP message received by reception is allocated in the business process variable so that this information can be used in the business process.
3. The business process executes an operation process. When a service is invoked, SOAP message for which parameters required for service execution from the variable is set is generated and this SOAP message is sent to the service component through the service adapter.
4. When the process is finished, the service component returns the result as a response message (SOAP message). The business process receives this SOAP message through the service adapter and re-allocates header and body information in the variable.
5. When processing of the business process is finished, SOAP message is generated from the variable and the result is sent to the service requester through reception.

In SOAP messages, the following information included in the user message is output in service message trace data:

• Multiple child elements containing soap:Header element
• 1 child element of soap:Body element

If soap:Header element does not exist, only the child element of soap:Body element is output as information.

Since operation is not guaranteed in the following cases, attention is required while creating a request message.

• If a child element containing name space and element specified in user-defined reception nests in the child element under SOAPHeader
• If multiple child elements with identical operation names are set in the child element under SOAPBody

For soap:Header element and soap:Body element, see "2.6.1 Applicability of the service components that use Web service" in "Service Platform Basic Development Guide" .