IBM Tools Help Create, Manage Web Services

IBM today announced new tools to help Web services developers and service providers create, host and manage Web services.

The new tools—IBMs Web Services Toolkit 3.0 (WSTK), Web Services Hosting Technology and Web Services Gateway—are available for free, trial download from IBMs Web site at www.alphaworks.ibm.com, the Armonk, N.Y., company said.

WSTK 3.0, the latest version of IBMs Web services tool kit that was initially released in July 2000, offers developers a runtime environment, along with examples to design and execute Web services, and an introduction to Web services development for those starting out.

IBM said WSTK 3.0 consolidates Web services-related technologies from its various development and research labs. The functions of WSTK are based on specifications such as SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), WSDL (Web Services Description Language), WS-Inspection and UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration), and run on both Linux and Windows operating systems.

New features and functions in WSTK 3.0 include common utility services, a connector for LotusScript applications to Web services, a WSDL document utility, enhanced Apache support and new UDDI for Java technology.

The common utility services in the WSTK includes services such as metering, accounting, contracting, common data notification and identity services, the company said.

SoapConnect for LotusScript enables LotusScript applications in Lotus Domino and Notes to integrate with Web services. The technology is an implementation of Version 1.1 of SOAP for LotusScript.

The WSDLdoc utility parses WSDL documents and delivers HTML documentation describing the Web services. WSTK 3.0 also supports the third generation of the Apache open-source SOAP implementation and IBMs UDDI for Java Version 2 preview.

Another component of the announcement, IBMs Web Services Hosting Technology, is a set of management tools that support Web services. IBM officials said this technology supports the provisioning and metering of Web services without requiring code changes, and enables service providers to develop an integrated billing model.

The technology is IBMs first iteration of an end-to-end Web services hosting scenario, according to officials. Key to that is the ability to deliver provisioning and metering Web services.

As an example, IBM said its Web Services Hosting Technology can enable a business to host a new online Web service and make it available via a public or private UDDI registry site. Businesses can then set up accounts using IBMs Web Services Hosting Technology to track usage of the Web service and bill accordingly, the company said.

The third component of todays announcement, the Web Services Gateway, provides enhanced security for Web services across firewalls. The gateway serves as a bridge between service providers and service requestors and is a single point of control and access for a set of Web services, IBM officials said.