Re: my first web service

[Scott Klement <web400@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Mike,

> Can a web service return a result set in the same way a stored procedure can?

Are you asking whether web services in general can do this?   Or whether 
the IBM-provided Integrated Web Services (IWS) tool can do this?

Web services in general can certainly do this.  However, I'm pretty sure 
IWS cannot.


> Are there any additional security issues I now need to think about
> like how to protect my web services from only being used by the
> people I want to allow to use them, most of whom will be using PC
> based products to request data.

Yes, I'd think about those things! :)   I'd have a userid/password or 
some similar mechanism (digital key?) that's provided when your web 
service is accessed.  I'd also require SSL so that the aforementioned 
userid/password/key cannot be sniffed from the network. Especially if 
you intend to make this application available over the Internet.

You could potentially use client-side SSL certificates in place of a 
digital key.  I would only attempt that, however, if you are providing 
the software for both ends of the conversation.  It would be very 
difficult to implement if you want to allow clients to be able to 
integrate your service into their own applications.  (Which is what web 
services were really designed for...)