WSCE: a flexible Web Service Composition Environment

Abstract

In this paper, we propose the concepts of virtual partner and inspector into the Web services composition. Virtual partner, as an IT level concept, is a Web service (pseudo Web service) using the same interface with the actual partner but different binding message. A virtual partner can be invoked directly by a business process described by BPEL, so that the BPEL programmer can test both application's functionality and non functionality performance early in the development cycle to avoid any problems in the final runtime, or test the selection of their partners in business level design. The IT virtual partners provide developers with a range of the techniques which let them explore every aspect of their program. Inspector is proposed when using the third-party process engine. An inspector itself is also a Web service. The programmer can register any required output information in it. The IT virtual partner and the inspector concepts have been integrated in our WSCE, a flexible Web Services Composition Environment for a business process. WSCE is a prototype of autonomic modeling and simulation environment. With the help of a third-party BPEL engine, it provides programmer with concepts and tools to facilitate business process programming.