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Web Service Task

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Applies to: SQL Server SSIS Integration Runtime in Azure Data Factory

The Web Service task executes a Web service method. You can use the Web Service task for the following purposes:

  • Writing to a variable the values that a Web service method returns. For example, you could obtain the highest temperature of the day from a Web service method, and then use that value to update a variable that is used in an expression that sets a column value.

  • Writing to a file the values that a Web service method returns. For example, a list of potential customers can be written to a file and the file then used as a data source in a package that cleans the data before it is written to a database.

WSDL File

The Web Service task uses an HTTP connection manager to connect to the Web service. The HTTP connection manager is configured separately from the Web Service task, and is referenced in the task. The HTTP connection manager specifies the server proxy settings such as the server URL, credentials for accessing the Web services server, and time-out length. For more information, see HTTP Connection Manager.

Important

The HTTP connection manager supports only anonymous authentication and basic authentication. It does not support Windows Authentication.

The HTTP connection manager can point to a Web site or to a Web Service Description Language (WSDL) file. The URL of the HTTP connection manager that points to a WSDL file includes the ?WSDL parameter: for example, https://MyServer/MyWebService/MyPage.asmx?WSDL.

The WSDL file must be available locally to configure the Web Service task using the Web Service Task Editor dialog box that SSIS Designer provides.

  • If the HTTP connection manager points to a Web site, the WSDL file must be copied manually to a local computer.

  • If the HTTP connection manager points to a WSDL file, the file can be downloaded from the Web site to a local file by the Web Service task.

The WSDL file lists the methods that the Web service offers, the input parameters that the methods require, the responses that the methods return, and how to communicate with the Web service.

If the method uses input parameters, the Web Service task requires parameter values. For example, a Web service method that recommends the length of skis you should purchase based on your height requires that your height be submitted in an input parameter. The parameter values can be provided either by strings that are defined in the task, or by variables defined in the scope of the task or a parent container. The advantage of using variables is that they let you dynamically update the parameter values by using package configurations or scripts. For more information, see Integration Services (SSIS) Variables and Package Configurations.

Many Web service methods do not use input parameters. For example, a Web service method that gets the names of presidents who were born in the current month would not require an input parameter because the Web service can determine the current month locally.

The results of the Web service method can be written to a variable or to a file. You use the File connection manager either to specify the file or to provide the name of the variable to write the results to. For more information, see File Connection Manager and Integration Services (SSIS) Variables.

Custom Logging Messages Available on the Web Service Task

The following table lists the custom log entries that you can enable for the Web Service task. For more information, see Integration Services (SSIS) Logging.

Log entry Description
WSTaskBegin The task began to access a Web service.
WSTaskEnd The task completed a Web service method.
WSTaskInfo Descriptive information about the task.

Configuration of the Web Service Task

You can set properties through SSIS Designer or programmatically.

For more information about the properties that you can set in SSIS Designer, click the following topic:

For more information about how to set these properties in SSIS Designer, click the following topic:

Programmatic Configuration of the Web Service Task

For more information about programmatically setting these properties, click one of the following topics:

Web Service Task Editor (General Page)

Use the General page of the Web Services Task Editor dialog box to specify an HTTP connection manager, specify the location of the Web Services Description Language (WSDL) file the Web Service task uses, describe the Web Services task, and download the WSDL file.

Options

HTTPConnection
Select a connection manager in the list, or click <New connection...> to create a new connection manager.

Important

The HTTP connection manager supports only anonymous authentication and basic authentication. It does not support Windows Authentication.

Related Topics: HTTP Connection Manager, HTTP Connection Manager Editor (Server Page)

WSDLFile
Type the fully qualified path of a WSDL file that is local to the computer, or click the browse button (...) and locate this file.

If you have already manually downloaded the WSDL file to the computer, select this file. However, if the WSDL file has not yet been downloaded, follow these steps:

  • Create an empty file that has the ".wsdl" file name extension.

  • Select this empty file for the WSDLFile option.

  • Set the value of OverwriteWSDLFile to True to enable the empty file to be overwritten with the actual WSDL file.

  • Click Download WSDL to download the actual WSDL file and overwrite the empty file.

    Note

    The Download WSDL option is not enabled until you provide the name of an existing local file in the WSDLFile box.

OverwriteWSDLFile
Indicate whether the WSDL file for the Web Service task can be overwritten.

If you intend to download the WSDL file by using the Download WSDL button, set this value to True.

Name
Provide a unique name for the Web Service task. This name is used as the label in the task icon.

Note

Task names must be unique within a package.

Description
Type a description of the Web Service task.

Download WSDL
Download the WSDL file.

This button is not enabled until you provide the name of an existing local file in the WSDLFile box.

Web Service Task Editor (Input Page)

Use the Input page of the Web Service Task Editor dialog box to specify the Web Service, the Web method, and the values to provide to the Web method as input. The values can be provided either by typing strings directly in the Value column, or by selecting variables in the Value column.

Options

Service
Select a Web service from the list to use to execute the Web method.

Method
Select a Web method from the list for the task to execute.

WebMethodDocumentation
Type a description of Web method, or the click the browse button (...) and then type the description in the Web Method Documentation dialog box.

Name
Lists the names of the inputs to the Web method.

Type
Lists the data type of the inputs.

Note

The Web Service task supports parameters of the following data types only: primitive types such as integers and strings; arrays and sequences of primitive types; and enumerations.

Variable
Select the check boxes to use variables to provide inputs.

Value
If the Variable check-boxes are selected, select the variables in the list to provide the inputs; otherwise, type the values to use in the inputs.

Web Service Task Editor (Output Page)

Use the Output page of the Web Service Task Editor dialog box to specify where to store the result returned by the Web method.

Static Options

OutputType
Select the storage type to use when storing the results. This property has the options listed in the following table.

Value Description
File Connection Store the results in a file. Selecting this value displays the dynamic option, File.
Variable Store the results in a variable. Selecting this value displays the dynamic option, Variable.

OutputType Dynamic Options

OutputType = File Connection

File
Select a File connection manager in the list or click <New Connection...> to create a new connection manager.

Related Topics: File Connection Manager, File Connection Manager Editor

OutputType = Variable

Variable
Select a variable in the list or click <New Variable...> to create a new variable.

Related Topics: Integration Services (SSIS) Variables, Add Variable

Related Content

Video, How to: Call a Web Service by Using the Web Service Task (SQL Server Video), on technet.microsoft.com.