A web service client can connect to an Informatica web service to access, transform, or deliver data. An external application or a Web Service Consumer transformation can connect to a web service as a web service client. You can create an Informatica web service in the Developer tool.
A web service can process requests for information, requests to update data, or requests to perform tasks. For example, a web service client sends a request to run a web service operation. The web service client passes a customer ID in the request. The web service retrieves the customer and the order information and it returns the information to the client in a response.
An Informatica web service communicates to web service clients using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) or Representational State Transfer (REST) messaging protocol.
You can create the following types of web services or web service clients in the Developer tool:
SOAP Web Service
Web service that uses SOAP protocol. The web service client request and the web service response are SOAP messages. The web service description language (WSDL) is an XML-based interface definition language that describes the functionality of a web service. A WSDL file contains a description of how to call the web service, what parameters the web service expects, and which data structures the web service returns. You can create an Informatica SOAP web service from a WSDL file.
SOAP Web Service Consumer transformation
Connects to a web service as a web service client to access or transform data midstream in a mapping. You can create a SOAP Web Service Consumer transformation from a WSDL.
REST Web Service
Web service that receives an HTTP request to perform web service operations. An Informatica REST web service can receive an HTTP request to perform a GET operation. An Informatica REST web service can return a response in a JSON file or in an XML file.
REST Consumer Transformation
Connects to a REST web service as a web service client to access or transform data midstream in a mapping. The REST Web Service Consumer transformation connects to a web service through a URL that you define in the transformation, in an HTTP connection, or in an HTTPS connection. The request and the response messages contain XML or JSON data.