A web service is a software system, which uses a standardized interface and has a web address. Web services can communicate between each other and with other applications. For this, they use a messaging system based on certain protocols. In case of SOA, web services communicate through SOAP.
Web services are great for communication between ELMA Business Processes and external systems. Communication is carried out through web service methods. A SOAP request is sent to ELMA from an external application. The body of the request contains an XML message. The fields of this message contain a set of data necessary to start the process: business process token, list of process variables sent to the context.
The body of the message also contains the user data required for signing in to ELMA. You do not need to enter this data manually when addressing a business process from an external application, since the data is sent through the message body. This feature allows you to start a process for another ELMA user. It comes in handy when you need to start a business process through forms and buttons on public websites, when the customer who initiates the process does not have an ELMA account.
In response to the SOAP request, ELMA creates a return SOAP message. Its body is an XML message with results of the request.
