Unable to Initiate GP from VC via Web Service

[JHPieters]

All,

I'm trying to instantiate a GP from a VC application using the StartProcess GP Web Service.

i have setup the dynamic proxies so I'm able to see all the GP's in the data services browser and drop the object in the VC Model. All MetaData is visible, but when I try to test the Data Service or try to run it, I get the very annoying and generic error meesage: Could not execute Web Service. Please consult your Administrator.

I know the GP works since I'm able to create a WS Callable Object and instantiate the GP when testing the CO.

The GP also instantiates correctly using the AInstantiation application or using any other SOAP client, such as SOAPUI, without any issues.

As an alternative I also created a Portal System for the GP WSDL. Again this also shows up correctly in the VC Data Services Browser and I can drop the service in the model and get to the metadata. But when I try to test or execute it, the same generic message as above ...

Why can VC not instantiate the GP ???

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hennie Pieters

[JHPieters]

I've found the problem with this.

The Portal's Web Service connector does not correctly interpret the roles structure of the GP.

This is due to a limitation in EP's WS Connector which cannot handle complex structures so any structures in the WS are flattened out.

In the case of GP's, the GP Roles are defined as a three level structure, i.e.:

[Roles]

- [Administrator]

- [Group]

- [Role]

- [User]

- [Overseer]

- [Group]

- [Role]

- [User]

... etc.

In VC this is represented as individual fields due to the "flattening" of the structure by the Portal WS Connector:

Roles_Administrator_Group

Roles_Administrator_Role

Roles_Administrator_User

Roles_Overseer_Group

....

When the WS is called, the portal WS connector cannot build the structure back up as shown above and raises and exception that the Roles for the GP is not provided.

This causes problems even if the GP is configured such that NO role value needs to be provided at instantiation time, i.e. all roles have default users and/or are derived at runtime. The WS connector always raises an error that the role has not been provided.

The only work around I have found was to write my own Java class to instantiate the GP (using the GP API) and expose the Java class as a WS.

This provided me with the necessary granularity of control to start a GP through VC.

Hopefully it helps someone.

Hennie