FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: BASIC PROFILE 1.0

What is the Basic Profile = 1.0?

The Basic Profile 1.0 (BP1.0) consists of implementation guidelines recommending how a set of core Web services specifications should be used together to develop interoperable Web service= s. The guidelines address technologies that cover the following areas:

· &n= bsp; Messa= ging: the exchange of protocol elements, usually over a network, to affect a Web service.

· &n= bsp; Descr= iption: the enumeration of the messages associated with a Web service, along with implementation details.

· &n= bsp; Disco= very: metadata that enables the advertisement of a Web service's capabilities.

· &n= bsp; Secur= ity: mechanisms that provide integrity and privacy.

What is the purpose of the BP 1.0?

BP 1.0 will significantly simp= lify the task of implementing interoperable Web services solutions within and ac= ross enterprise boundaries, by allowing companies to focus resou= rces on delivering new products and services to their customers, instead of deal= ing with basic plumbing. The grea= ter confidence in Web services interoperability that BP1.0 brings will reduce t= he risk of adopting Web services technologies or beginning Web services projects. BP 1.0 will also si= mplify purchasing decisions for customers concerned about interoperability with pa= rtners, customers, and suppliers. BP 1.0 delivers on the key promise= of WS-I, to promote consistent and reliable interoperability among Web services across platforms, applications, and programming languages.

What standards and specifications does the Basic Profile 1.0 cover?<= o:p>

BP 1.0 covers the following core Web services standards and provides constraints and clarifications to these base specifications, along with conventions about how to use them together, with= the goal of promoting interoperability:

· = SOAP = 1.1

· = WSDL = 1.1

· = UDDI = 2.0

· = XML 1= .0 (Second Edition)

· = XML Schema Part 1: Structures <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial'>

· = XML Schema Part 2: Data types <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial'>

· = RFC22= 46: The Transport Layer Security Protocol Version 1.0

· = RFC24= 59: Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate and CRL Profile

· = RFC26= 16: HyperText Transfer Protocol 1.1

· = RFC28= 18: HTTP over TLS Transport Layer Security

· = RFC29= 65: HTTP State Management Mechanism

· = The Secure Sockets Layer Protocol Version 3.0

Can you give a few examples of the kinds of conventions and guidelines that WS-I developed to support the underlying set of specifications covered in B= P 1.0?

WS-I resolved more than 200 interoperability issues associated with using the core= Web services specifications together, including:

· RPC-encoded was deprecated (indicating= a shift to the use of schema as the interoperable type system)

· Support and guidance for using rpc/lit, and how to construct rpc/lit messages

· Agreement on common interpretations for various aspects of WSDL (e.g., discrepancies between the specification, sch= ema, examples, and appendix mean that WSDL could be – and has been – interpreted in different ways, which can lead to interoperability problems)=

· Unique signatures for input messages

· Clarification of SOAP faults, and development of complete error-handling conventions

· Resolution of issues related to HTTP binding, HTTP status code, and SOAPAction headers

· Clarification about one-way messages

Can anyone make a conformance = claim?

Yes= , just ensure you read and comply with the terms in the WS-I Trademark and Complia= nce Claim Guidelines document posted at http://www.ws-i.or= g/docs/20031021_trademark.pdf.

Is the usage of the testing to= ols mandatory for Profile conformance claims?

WS-I recommends the use of the testing tools before you claim conformance, but t= here is no formal requirement to do so. We suggest you treat the testing tools as “necessary, but not sufficient” to establish conformance. Frankly, you may make a claim base= d on anything you like. However there are a couple of things you need to underst= and:

(a)= You are responsible for any claim you make.

(b)= If someone uses the WS-I test tools properly to test your software, and the to= ols produce a fail result, then your software does not conform to the Profile(s) specified in the testing (or there is a bug in the testing tools[1]).=

What does "necessary but = not sufficient for conformance" mean?

As = noted above, if someone uses the WS-I test tools properly to test your software, = and the tools produce a fail result, then your software is not conformant. However, obtaining a pass result f= rom the tool does not guarantee that your software is conformant. As documented= in the tool specification, it was not possible to provide a tool which tests a= ll kinds of software for all conformance issues with all of the contents of al= l of the profiles in all of the situations in which the software could participa= te as a Web service.

Why should I care that WS-I considers my software non-conformant?

Man= y will see value in a claim of conformance and may seek redress if they feel a cla= im is false. In the evaluation o= f a claim, there's little question that WS-I will be considered an authority on= the interpretation of its Profiles and in the making of conformance claims. The WS-I Trademark and Conformance Guidelines document will undoubtedly be consulted to assess the validity of= a claim or of an assertion that a claim is false. Any software found to be in violat= ion of these guidelines is non-conformant, so you would be well advised to adhere = to these terms.

Can I use testing tools from o= ther people to prepare a claim?

As = stated earlier, you can test your software any way you like, with any help you lik= e. Just keep in mind that you are responsible for any claims you make.

If = the testing tools are not sufficient, then how do I make sure that my software = is truly conformant?

The= truth is that the more testing you do, the more confident you can be that your software is conformant, but there's no way we're aware of to be 100% certai= n.

You probably have partners today who help you develop, test, deploy, and mainta= in your software. You should app= roach them ask what they can do to help you produce Web services which conform to WS-I profiles.

Who is responsible for conform= ant claims I make?

You are. Make sure you read our Trademark and Conformance Guidelines.

What if I developed my software using tools that claim to generate WS-I conformant Web services?=

If = your software is demonstrably non-conformant, then you should contact them and explain your concerns.

What if I use the WS-I testing tools, and my software is found to be non-conformant?=

If = you wish to claim conformance, then you are responsible for remediating your software until it is conformant. If, during your analysis, you believe that the test= ing tools themselves are in error, then WS-I is very anxious to hear from you. Please send an email to wsi-tools@ws-i.org. We will work with you to analyze the situation you've found; it may be that you have identified a gap in the testing provided by our tools. Keep in mind the "necessary but not sufficient" term, though. In some cases, we may verify that your software is non-conformant, acknowledge that= our tools didn't catch it, and yet not do anything about it beyond adding the information to our bug list. = We may decide not to act because of technical constraints which prevent the tools = from catching some things, or we may be facing shortages of skilled development staff to enhance the tool to meet your needs. We are always looking for people t= o help improve our tools and their coverage, and you're welcome to join WS-I to contribute to this effort!

What if we have questions abou= t how to interpret a Profile?

If = you're not a WS-I member and have questions concerning how to interpret a WS-I Profile, or any other WS-I related questions for that matter, you can send = them to us at info@ws-i.org.

Do I have to be a member of WS-I to use BP 1.0?

No. Any organization or developer is welcome to use BP 1.0. The public is free and encouraged = to download, use, and display BP 1.0, and download and use test tools and material to test their applications.

Adopters may, in addition to t= he above, reproduce and redistribute specifications with their products. And members can, in addition to all of the above, ship test tools and material (as is or modifi= ed) within their products.

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What can I expect in future Profiles?

Additional profiles are decided upon in part by market demand for a particular specification. WS-I is currently working on = SOAP with Attachments and the Basic Security Profile. As the industry comes to some consensus around specifications for Web services reliability, orchestration, etc., and various implementations begin to appe= ar, WS-I will investigate potential interoperability issues and determine wheth= er or not a new profile (or modification of existing profile) is warranted.

What deliverables are issued with each Profile?

When complete, the package of deliverables produced in conjunction w= ith a WS-I Profile will be as follows:

Profiles: Profiles are comprised of a set of named= and versioned Web services specifications together with a set of implement= ation and interoperability guidelines recommending how the specifications ma= y be used to develop interoperable Web services

Usage scenarios and use cases: Usage scenarios demonstrate how specific message exchange patterns are constrained by the Basic P= rofile 1.0. Use cases capture the business requirements for an application. Together these two guidelines provide a framework for the use of WS-I compliant Web services.

Sample applications: Sample applications demonstrate the implementation of applications that are built from WS-I compliant= Web services and utilize the usage scenarios and use cases that confo= rm to a given set of profiles. Implementations of the same Sample Applica= tion on multiple platforms, languages, and develo= pment tools demonstrate interoperability in action, and prov= ide readily usable resources for the Web services practitioner.

Testing tools: Tes= ting tools are used to monitor and analyze interactions with a Web service to determine whether or not the messages exchanged conform to WS-I Profile guidelines.

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When = will the sample applications and testing tools be available?

WS-= I is targeting Fall, 2003 to deliver final versions of the sample application packages and testing tools. <= /span>