Handling binary data in SOAP - WMB V7 and MTOM/XOP

If you need to send large binary files over SOAP I suggest to use MTOM/XOP and not the common base64 encoding. ( One of the common types to transfer binary data over SOAP).
The benefit of using MTOM is that it not increasing the size of the original message. base64 converts each 6 bits to 8. if working with UTF-8 the encoded data will be larger in about 33%.
The data will be transfered as binary over soap. no conversion.
When setting type of an element as base46binary the Axis2 framework ( Web services in WMB handled by Axis2).

From Alex Linder's Blog - C&SI

Archive Service - Soap --> File

I made a sample project to test this technology with WMB V7.0.2.
I implemented an archive service, using SOAP Input node and FileOutput node.
The consumer invoke the service with file name and file data attached to soap using MTOM.
for the testing I worked with SoapUI, great testing tool for Web Services. use the following link to configure SoapUI work with MTOM : Adding Headers and Attachments

I exposed the following WSDL

The method get to input parameters, fileName and fileBuffer ( base64binary type).
here the image of soapUi console with the request and mtom configuration

From Alex Linder's Blog - C&SI

.

When invoking the WS the binary data sent in binary mode ( MIME).

From Alex Linder's Blog - C&SI

On the server side, the base64binary is encoded as BLOB, you can see this in the following debug screen shot :

From Alex Linder's Blog - C&SI

to save the file buffer to disk I create an output message of BLOB domain in the compute node.

From Alex Linder's Blog - C&SI

don't forget to built the soap reply message.

During my testing I notice that when handling files over 1 MB during debug mode the message flow use about 50% CPU and crash.
When not in debug mode I sent files over 6 MB with no problem.

links for the tester projects:
message flow project
message set project

Consuming Web Service with SOAP header by Biztalk 2006

There are a lot of information about this subject on-line,
but I think that it not so correct.

The steps to create a working solution are :

1. You need a WSDL which includes the declaration of the SOAP headers elements that are needed. It won't work if you define an external schema for it. as it is described in many posts.

2. Create a property schema with the target namespace set to http://schemas.microsoft.com/BizTalk/2003/SOAPHeader, the root node name set to exactly the same as the root node name in SOAP header, and the Property Schema Base property set to MessageContextPropertyBase.

3. Set the context of the request message with a XML of the SOAP Header structure.

XMLDOM = new System.Xml.XmlDocument();
XMLDOM.LoadXml(@"123456Silver"); WSReqMsg(SubmitPurchaseOrder.SOAPHeaderPropertySchema.Priority) = XMLDOM.InnerXml;


If you have an WSDL which not defines SOAP Header but it's needed (like WS-Security or WS-addressing) by WS provider you will need to ask the provider to provide updated WSDL or to update it by yourself. Otherwise it won't work in Biztalk 2006 with SOAP adapter.

If you need to update the WSDL I suggest you to do it by exposing Orchestration as Web Service with the Web Service Wizard tool. You can use the defined property schema and you need to define custom schema which will include the needed SOAP Header.
During the wizard you can choose to expose SOAP Headers.

In Biztalk 2006 R2 and later you can use WCF adapter which solve this issue without the need to update WSDL.