Invoke Web Services

 

Updated: May 13, 2016

Applies To: System Center 2012 SP1 - Orchestrator, System Center 2012 - Orchestrator, System Center 2012 R2 Orchestrator

The Invoke Web Services activity runs a web service with XML parameters you specify.

Configuring the Invoke Web Services Activity

Before you configure the Invoke Web Services activity, you need to determine the following:

  • WSDL file of the web service

  • Web service method name

  • Input SOAP message body format

  • Output SOAP message body format

Use the following information to configure the Invoke Web Services activity.

Details

Settings Configuration Instructions
WSDL Type the path of the WSDL file or use the ellipsis (...) button to browse for the file.
Method Type the name of the method that you are invoking on the web service, or click the ellipsis button (...) and browse for it. Make sure that you match the casing of the method.
XML Request Payload Type the parameters that you are sending to the web service method. Make sure that the format matches what is described in the WSDL document.
Format Hint Click this button to receive hints on formatting the XML job payload. Replace the placeholder values with your own.

Advanced

Settings Configuration Instructions
Save To save the responses, select the Save check box and specify the folder where the responses will be saved.
URL To specify the URL location of the web service, select the URL check box and type the URL location.
Value Select the SOAP protocol that the web service uses. The Value options include the following:

- SOAP 1.1
- SOAP 1.2

Security

Settings Configuration Instructions
Enable Select the Enable check box to enable HTTP authentication, and fill in the fields.
User name Type the user name to access the secured web service.
Password Type the password to access the secured web service.

HTTPS certificate options

Orchestrator allows you to configure HTTPS certificate options in cases where certificate validation fails.

Use the following steps to configure HTTPS certificate options.

To configure HTTPS certificate options
  1. In the Runbook Designer, click the Options menu, and select Invoke Web Services to open the Invoke Web Services dialog box.

  2. Configure the settings on the Details tab. Configuration instructions are listed in the following table.

Details

Settings Configuration Instructions
HTTPS Options Select one of the following HTTPS Options:

- Accept all certificates
- Accept certificates from trusted hosts

Configuration instructions for each of the HTTPS Options are listed in the following tables.

Accept all certificates Details

Settings Configuration Instructions
Accept all certificates Accepts certificates from all hosts.

After you select this HTTPS option, click Finish.

Accept certificates from trusted hosts Details

Settings Configuration Instructions
Accept certificates from trusted hosts Specifies the hosts you want to accept the certificates from.

1. Click Add to open the Trusted Host dialog box.
2. Type the trusted host name in the Value box, and click OK. The host is then added to the list.

To edit hosts, click Edit.

To remove hosts, click Remove.

Published Data

The following table lists the published data items.

Item Description
WSDL Path The WSDL path.
Method Name The name of the web method.
XML Job Payload The text of the XML job payload.
XML Response Payload The text of the XML response payload.
Response File The path and filename of the response.
Web Service URL The URL of the web service.
Web Service protocol The protocol that the web service uses.

Publishing web services

The Invoke Web Service object builds an assembly at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft System Center 2012\Orchestrator\Activities\WebServices2or C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Microsoft System Center 2012\Orchestrator\Activities\WebServices2. The assembly is identified by the web service location. For example, https://localhost/TestService/DylanService.asmx?WSDL.

If you publish additional services, or update an existing service, you must clean the cache, except for the wspkey.snk file. After cleaning the cache, the web service changes are correctly published.