Creating a Simple Web Service Listener in Boomi: Step-by-Step Guide

Boomi makes it easy to build and deploy web services without deep coding. In this tutorial, we’ll create a basic Web Services Server (WSS) listener—a process that listens for incoming SOAP or REST requests, processes them simply (e.g., echoing data), and responds. We’ll use Boomi’s low-code interface, deploy to the cloud, and test with Postman. This assumes you have a Boomi account (free trial available at platform.boomi.com) and basic familiarity with the Atmosphere designer.

We’ll build a simple flow: Start with a WSS listener → Map/Process data (minimal) → End with a response connector.

Step 1: Create a New Process and Configure the Start Shape (WSS Listener)

  1. Log in to Boomi at platform.boomi.com.
  2. In the Build tab, click CreateProcess to start a new process. Name it something like “SimpleWSSListener” and save.
  3. Drag a Web Services Server (WSS) shape from the Start section to the canvas. This will be your listener.
  4. Double-click the WSS shape to configure:
  • Operation: Select Listen (this sets it up as a server endpoint).
  • Transport: Choose HTTP for simplicity (or HTTPS for production).
  • Binding: Select SOAP or REST based on your needs (e.g., SOAP for legacy systems; we’ll use REST here for modernity).
  • Under Operations, click Add to define your operation:
  • Name: e.g., “EchoMessage”.
  • Input: Define a simple schema (e.g., a string field like “inputMessage”).
  • Output: Mirror the input for echoing (e.g., “outputMessage”).
  • Save the shape. Boomi auto-generates WSDL/XSD if needed.

Your canvas now has the WSS as the start point.

Step 2: Add Processing Logic (Optional for Simplicity)

For a basic echo service:

  1. Drag a Map shape from the Flow Control or Logic section between the WSS and the end.
  2. Double-click the Map:
  • Connect the WSS output to the map input.
  • Drag fields: Map “inputMessage” from input to “outputMessage” in output (for echoing).
  1. If you want more logic (e.g., data transformation), add Set Properties or Decision shapes here. Keep it simple for now.

Step 3: Add the End Shape and Save the Process

  1. Drag an End connector from the End section to the canvas (e.g., HTTP Server or Web Services Client for response—match your WSS binding).
  2. Connect: WSS → Map (if added) → End.
  3. Double-click the End shape:
  • Set Response Type to match your operation (e.g., JSON for REST).
  • Ensure it outputs the mapped data.
  1. Click Save in the toolbar. Test the process locally in Boomi’s Test Mode (toolbar button) to verify flow without deployment.

Your process is now a simple listener flow!

Step 4: Deploy the Process

  1. In the process editor, click Deploy (top toolbar).
  2. Select a Runtime Account (e.g., your cloud molecule—Boomi hosts this by default).
  3. Choose an Atom (cloud or local; use cloud for simplicity).
  4. Set Execution Account if needed (default is fine).
  5. Click Deploy. Boomi compiles and activates it. Note the deployment ID for reference.

The process is now live and listening!

Step 5: Retrieve the Web Service URL and Credentials from Runtime Management

  1. Go to the Manage tab → Runtime Management.
  2. Select Cloud (or your molecule type).
  3. In the left panel, expand Processes → Find your “SimpleWSSListener”.
  4. Click on it, then select Web Services or Mutual Web Service (for secure, authenticated endpoints).
  5. Boomi displays:
  • URL/Endpoint: e.g., https://your-atom.boomi.com/ws/simplewsslistener/EchoMessage (copy this).
  • Authentication Details:
  • Username: Your Boomi runtime username (e.g., from your account settings).
  • Password: Your runtime password (generate or use existing; store securely).
  • WSDL URL (for SOAP clients).
  1. If using mutual auth (client certs), configure under Security—skip for basic HTTP.

You now have everything to call the service externally.

Step 6: Test the Listener with Postman

  1. Open Postman and create a new request.
  2. Set Method: POST (for SOAP/REST payloads) or GET if simple.
  3. Enter the URL from Step 5.
  4. Headers:
  • Content-Type: application/json (for REST) or text/xml (for SOAP).
  • Authorization: Basic Auth → Enter Username and Password from Step 5.
  1. Body (Raw/JSON for REST example):
  2. json
{
  "inputMessage": "Hello from Postman!"
}
  1. (Adjust for SOAP XML if using that binding.)
  2. Click Send. The listener should process and respond, e.g.:
  3. json
{
  "outputMessage": "Hello from Postman!"
}
  1. Check the response status (200 OK) and body. If errors, verify deployment logs in Runtime Management.

Success! Your Boomi web service is responding to external calls.

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