Apache Axis2 is an implementation of the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) Recommendation from the W3C and is a foundational technology for next generation Web services. During this Apache Axis2 course, you will learn how to develop Web Services with SOAP and Apache Axis 2. We will see how Apache Axis2 has a modular and flexible message handling pipeline and you will learn the details of message handling and how this provides clear hooks for implementations of associated Web services standards and protocols.

Introduction, course outline, objectives
Recap on SOA and SOAP

• SOA aims
• Loose coupling
• SOAP 1.1, SOAP 1.2
• Examples of SOAP messages
• Use a web-based tool to send and receive SOAP messages

Introduction to Apache Axis2

• Overview
• Aims
• Top level components and flows
• Demonstration
• Repository
• Install, start-up and test Apache Axis2
• Explore repository, services, modules, axis2.xml

Introduction to WS-Addressing

• Why WS-A?
• Asynchronous model
• Endpoint References
• Reference Parameters

Creating services with Apache Axis2

• Deploying Java components
• XML-based services vs. Bound services
• Creating a service with Apache Axis2, and testing it
• Command-line tooling

Asynchronous Web Services

• Reply-To
• HTTP 202
• Tracing an asynchronous interaction using HTTPTracer WSDL
• WSDL 1.1 vs WSDL2
• Tools for creating and reading WSDL
• Contract first development
• Lab Exercise * Create a WSDL

Building a Web service contract first
Creating Stubs and Skeletons
Building an end-to-end service from WSDL
Axis Data Binding

• Intro to ADB
• ADB options
• XSD2Java
• Alternatives to ABD * using XMLBeans
• Exploring ADB
• Using XSD2Java
• Single class versus multi-class mapping

AXIOM

• Looking at AXIOM and STaX
• Detailed examples
• Building XML structures dynamically
• Creating and parsing XML using AXIOM

Dynamic clients

• Using the ServiceClient API
• Lab Exercise * Calling services using AXIOM and ServiceClient

Tooling

• Using Apache Axis2 in Eclipse
• Ant Build scripts
• Using Apache Axis2 in a Unit test environment
• Using the Eclipse plugin
• Creating Unit tests

REST

• REST arguments and positioning
• Using XML/HTTP in a POST
• The WSDL2.0 GET binding
• Using Apache Axis2 with GET and POST

MTOM - building and using binary attachments with Apache Axis2

• Build a binary service.
• Trace with/without optimisation.
• Calculate the size of attachment to optimise

Understanding Sessions with Apache Axis2

• Using ServiceGroups and Axis2 context structure
• EPR sessions vs HTTP Sessions
• Create a stateful service

More internals of Apache Axis2

• Modules, phases, handlers
• ClassLoader Hierarchy
• Description and Context hierarchies
• Building and testing a simple Logging Module

Advanced Web Services

• Overview of the full WS-platform

Introduction to WS Security

• Authentication
• Signature
• Encryption
• Efficiency of WSS vs HTTPS
• Mixing HTTPS and WSS
• Securing a Web Service with WSS4J Tracing flows

Introduction to WS Reliable Messaging

• Simple flows
• Reliable WS with Apache Sandesha2
• Tracing flows

Introduction to WS-Policy and MetadataExchange

• Why Policy?
• Policy overview and Policy Assertion Languages
• How Policy fits into Axis2
• Policy driven RM client

Wrap up talk

• Tradeoffs / Best Practices
• Interoperability issues
• Production deployment issues / tips
• Futures