Web Service Task
Overview
The Web Service Task allows you to invoke a Web Service running on any application server.
SSL/TLS Secured HTTPS
Web Service Tasks support the use of https:// instead of the non-encrypted http:// for the Web Service Task URL.
This requires setting up a truststore (keystore) and setting the following properties in the Universal Controller Start-up Properties (uc.properties) file:
You must make sure that the HTTPS server's certificate (or root certificate) exists in the truststore that is referenced by these two properties. This is required to validate the remote web service providers identity. Universal Controller does not provide an option to bypass https certificate validation.
The hostname in your URL is verified against the certificate and must match the certificate's CN (Common Name) or SAN (Subject Alternative Name).
Preemptive Authentication
The default behavior of Apache HttpClient library used by the Web Service task is to not use pre-emptive authentication out of the box, because if misused or used incorrectly, the preemptive authentication can lead to significant security issues, such as sending user credentials in clear text to an unauthorized third party.
Therefore, users are expected to evaluate potential benefits of preemptive authentication versus security risks in the context of their specific application environment. Thus, Web Service Tasks using Basic Authentication will not pre-emptively send authentication credentials until prompted by the receiving API. Please see the following link for more information.
https://hc.apache.org/httpcomponents-client-4.5.x/current/tutorial/html/authentication.html#d5e717
Built-In Variables
The following built-in variables can be used in a Web Service task to pass data where appropriate:
Creating a Web Service Task
Step 1 | From the Automation Center navigation pane, select Tasks > Web Service Tasks. The Web Service Tasks list displays a list of all currently defined Web Service tasks. |
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Step 2 | Enter/select Details for a new Web Service task, using the field descriptions below as a guide.
To display more of the Details fields on the screen, you can either:
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Step 3 | Click the button. The task is added to the database, and all buttons and tabs in the Task Details are enabled. |
Note
To open an existing record on the list, either:
Click a record in the list to display its record Details below the list. (To clear record Details below the list, click the New button that displays above and below the Details.)
Clicking the Details icon next to a record name in the list, or right-click a record in the list and then click Open in the Action menu that displays, to display a pop-up version of the record Details.
Right-click a record in the a list, or open a record and right-click in the record Details, and then click Open In Tab in the Action menu that displays, to display the record Details under a new tab on the record list page (see Record Details as Tabs).
Web Service Task Details
The following Web Service Task Details is for an existing Web Service task.
Depending on the values that you enter / select for these fields, and whether or not the Web Service task has ever been launched, more (or less) fields may display. See the field descriptions, below, for a description of all fields that may display in the Web Service Task Details.
Web Service Task Details Field Descriptions
The following table describes the fields, buttons, and tabs that display in the Web Service Task Details.
Field Name | Description |
|---|---|
General | This section contains general information about the task. |
Name | |
Version | |
Description | |
Member of Business Services | |
Resolve Name Immediately | |
Time Zone Preference | |
Hold on Start | |
Hold Reason | |
Virtual Resource Priority | |
Hold Resources on Failure | |
Mutually Exclusive With Self | |
Web Service Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about the task. |
Protocol | |
HTTP Authentication | |
Credentials | |
Credentials Variable | |
HTTP Version | |
Insecure | |
HTTP Method | |
SOAP Version | |
Timeout | |
URL | |
URL Query Parameters | |
HTTP Payload Type | |
MIME Type | |
Form Data | |
SOAP Payload Type | |
SOAP Action | |
Payload Source | |
Payload | |
Payload Script | |
HTTP Headers | |
SOAP Response Output | |
Auto Cleanup | |
Response Processing Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about response processing for this task. |
Response Processing | |
Status Codes | |
Output Type | |
Path Expression | |
Strategy | |
Operator | |
Value | |
Retry Options | This section contains specifications for retrying the task. |
Maximum Retries | |
Retry Indefinitely | |
Retry Interval (Seconds) | |
Suppress Intermediate Failures | |
Wait / Delay Options | This section contains specifications for waiting to start and/or delaying on start the task. |
Wait To Start | |
Wait Time | |
Wait Day Constraint | |
Wait Duration | |
Wait Duration In Seconds | |
Delay On Start | |
Delay Duration | |
Delay Duration In Seconds | |
Workflow Only | |
Time Options | This section contains time-related specifications for task instances of the task. |
Late Start | |
Late Start Type | |
Late Start Time | |
Late Start Day Constraint | |
Late Start Nth Amount | |
Late Start Duration | |
Late Finish | |
Late Finish Type | |
Late Finish Offset Type | |
Late Finish Percentage Offset ( + ) | |
Late Finish Duration Offset ( + ) | |
Late Finish Duration Offset Unit | |
Late Finish Time | |
Late Finish Day Constraint | |
Late Finish Nth Amount | |
Late Finish Duration | |
Early Finish | |
Early Finish Type | |
Early Finish Offset Type | |
Early Finish Percentage Offset ( - ) | |
Early Finish Duration Offset ( - ) | |
Early Finish Duration Offset Unit | |
Early Finish Time | |
Early Finish Day Constraint | |
Early Finish Nth Amount | |
Early Finish Duration | |
User Estimated Duration | |
Critical Path Options | This section contains Critical Path-related specifications for the task. |
CP Duration | |
CP Duration (Resolved) | |
CP Duration Unit | |
Workflow Execution Options | This section contains Execution Restriction specifications for the task if it is within a Workflow. |
Execution Restriction | |
Restriction Period | |
Before Date | |
Before Time | |
After Date | |
After Time | |
Date List | |
Statistics | This section contains time-related statistics for task instances of the task. |
First Execution | |
Last Execution | |
Last Instance Duration | |
Lowest Instance Time | |
Average Instance Time | |
Highest Instance Time | |
Number of Instances | |
Metadata | This section contains Metadata information about this record. |
UUID | Universally Unique Identifier of this record. |
Updated By | Name of the user that last updated this record. |
Updated | Date and time that this record was last updated. |
Created By | Name of the user that created this record. |
Created | Date and time that this record was created. |
Buttons | This section identifies the buttons displayed above and below the Task Details that let you perform various actions. |
Save | Saves a new task record in the Controller database. |
Save & New | Saves a new record in the Controller database and redisplays empty Details so that you can create another new record. |
Save & View | Saves a new record in the Controller database and continues to display that record. |
New | Displays empty (except for default values) Details for creating a new task. |
Update | |
Launch Task | |
View Parents | |
Copy | Creates a copy of this task, which you are prompted to rename. |