Remote web services

If your application uses remote web services that are not public on the Internet, consider how moving to the cloud will affect the access to these remote services. If the remote web services are available on the Internet, no changes are needed.

The following Java method calls indicate the use of remote web services:

• org.apache.soap.rpc
• javax.xml.rpc.Call
• javax.xml.rpc.Service
• javax.xml.rpc.Stub
• javax.xml.rpc.ServiceFactory
• javax.xml.rpc.ServiceException
• javax.xml.ws.AsyncHandler
• javax.xml.ws.Service
• javax.xml.ws.Service.Mode
• javax.xml.ws.WebServiceClient
• javax.xml.ws.WebServiceRef
• javax.xml.ws.WebServiceRefs
• javax.ws.rs.client
• org.apache.client.wink.client

The following deployment descriptor element also indicates use of remote web services:

• <service-ref> in the application-client.xml, ejb-jar.xml, or web.xml file

Also, the presence of the following files indicates the use of remote web services:

• ibm-webservicesclient-bnd.xmi
• ibm-webservicesclient-ext.xmi

This rule is flagged once per Eclipse project or Java archive.

Note: If you are migrating to Liberty Core, the Java API for XML-Based Web Services (JAX-WS) is not provided as part of the Java EE Web Profile. Consider packaging a JAX-WS implementation with your application, or migrate to Liberty or traditional WebSphere.

How to Resolve

If your application is able to directly access the remote web service, no further action is required.

Otherwise, one option is to move the applications with the dependent web services to the cloud as part of the migration. This option eliminates potential latency issues. The feasibility of this solution depends on your cloud runtime choice. For example, JAX-RPC is not supported on Liberty running as a IBM Cloud Instant Runtime. Alternatively, you can use a VPN tunnel, such as the IBM Secure Gateway for IBM Cloud, to create a secure connection for your existing remote web service calls. For more information about configuring a secure connection, see Configuring a VPN. After configuring your gateway, connect your application to the new destination by using the cloud host and port number that is provided when you created the destination.