This J2EE tutorial covers building and porting JAX-RPC style Webservices to JAX-WS.

Tools used for this tutorial exercise are
JBossWs 2.0.1GA (Jboss's JAX-WS implementation)
JBoss 4.2.1GA - (J2EE Application server)
Eclispe IDE 3.2 >=
Apache Ant

1.1 Background

  • 1.1.1 JAX-RPC
  • 1.1.2 JAX-WS
1.2 Differences
  • 1.2.1.1 SOAP 1.2
  • 1.2.1.3 WS-I's Basic Profiles
  • 1.2.1.4 New Java features
  • 1.2.1.5 The data mapping model
  • 1.2.1.6 The interface mapping model

1.3 Porting Steps
  • 1.3.1 Naming conventions
  • 1.3.2 Generate Stubs
  • 1.3.3 Ant target to generate stubs
  • 1.3.4 Test Webservices Client
  • 1.3.5 Logging SOAP Packet
  • 1.3.6 Instructions for setting up SOAP packet logging on client side
  • 1.3.7 Test client snippet

1.4 Integrate With EJB 3.0
  • 1.4.1 Define a Remote Interface
  • 1.4.2 Implement a Stateless Session Bean
  • 1.4.3 Build Jar
  • 1.4.4 Run an EJB Client


1.1 Background

1.1.1 JAX-RPC

JAX RPC style of webservices is built on JSR-101 specification.

JBoss 4.0.4 server comes with JBossWs 1.0 series which has support for JAX-RPC and non JAX-WS style, i:e; JSR-101 (JAX-RPC) and JSR-109 (non JAX-WS) style webservices respectively, rather than JSR-181 (JAX-WS) compliant. Strictly speaking, JbossWS 1.0 is not a JAX-WS compliant as it is missing JSR-181 impelmentation.

It only supports SOAP 1.1.

1.1.2 JAX-WS

JAX-WS style of web services is built on JSR-224 specification.
It uses annotations (JSR-181) and new data binding stack JAXB. JbossWS 2.0 >= series which
is used in this porting exercise is JAX-WS compliant.

In addition to being JAX-WS compliant, for backward compatibilty it has support for JAX-RPC(JSR-101) and JSR-109 compliant services used in JBoss 4.0.4.

It supports SOAP 1.1 and SOAP 1.2.


1.2 Differences

Their are quiet a few notable differences between JAX-WS and JAX-RPC. Notable ones to keep in mind while porting are in italics.

1.2.1.1 SOAP 1.2

JAX-RPC and JAX-WS support SOAP 1.1. JAX-WS also supports SOAP 1.2.

1.2.1.2 XML/HTTP

The WSDL 1.1 specification defined an HTTP binding, which is a means by which you can send XML messages over HTTP without SOAP. JAX-RPC ignored the HTTP binding. JAX-WS adds support for it.

1.2.1.3 WS-I's Basic Profiles

JAX-RPC supports WS-I's Basic Profile (BP) version 1.0. JAX-WS supports BP 1.1. (WS-I is the Web services interoperability organization.)

1.2.1.4 New Java features

JAX-RPC maps to Java 1.4. JAX-WS maps to Java 5.0. JAX-WS relies on many of the features new in Java 5.0.
Java EE 5, the successor to J2EE 1.4, adds support for JAX-WS, but it also retains support for JAX-RPC, which could be confusing to today's Web services novices.


1.2.1.5 The data mapping model

JAX-RPC has its own data mapping model, which covers about 90 percent of all schema types. Those that it does not cover are mapped to javax.xml.soap.SOAPElement.

JAX-WS's data mapping model is JAXB. JAXB promises mappings for all XML schemas.

1.2.1.6 The interface mapping model

JAX-WS's basic interface mapping model is not extensively different from JAX-RPC's; however:

JAX-WS's model makes use of new Java 5.0 features.
JAX-WS's model introduces asynchronous functionality.

1.2.1.7 The dynamic programming model

JAX-WS's dynamic client model is quite different from JAX-RPC's. Many of the changes acknowledge industry needs:
  • It introduces message-oriented functionality.
  • It introduces dynamic asynchronous functionality.
JAX-WS also adds a dynamic server model, which JAX-RPC does not have.

1.2.1.7 MTOM (Message Transmission Optimization Mechanism)

JAX-WS, via JAXB, adds support for MTOM, the new attachment specification. Microsoft never bought into the SOAP with Attachments specification; but it appears that everyone supports MTOM, so attachment interoperability should become a reality.

1.2.1.8 The handler model

The handler model has changed quite a bit from JAX-RPC to JAX-WS.
JAX-RPC handlers rely on SAAJ 1.2. JAX-WS handlers rely on the new SAAJ 1.3 specification.

Part - 2 of tutorial is continued here

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