Hi,

in the course of different mergers, we have a multiple different systems from different vendors. When it comes to document management there is IBM Websphere and SharePoint. We have the challenge to exchange data with the IBM Webssphere System. Understand it as some kind of document publishing. Collaboration will take place in SharePoint, whereas the place for the official approved files will be a webserver based on Websphere. A document with its metadata is to be sent after its approval in SP to Websphere.

The "Websphere" department asks this to be implemented as a webservice. 

Websphere has to provide the Webservice Producer whereas SharePoint needs to be the consumer. 

How to proceed? What are the topics to be discussed?

1. How should the overall process look like? => Use Case Description
2. What kind of WebMethods should be provided and consumed? => WSDL
3. How should the servers authenticate to each other? (Windows authentication or Claims?
4. Shall the data be encrypted? If yes, how? Is SSL encryption the easiest approach?

Thanks for input

Sven

Hi Sven,

SharePoint allows both server side and client custom solutions. You can develop custom server side solution to easily get the approved documents from libraries and post them to WebSphere. In case WebSphere supports OAuth, you should be able to generate an access token when consuming the web services.

In another way, since SharePoint also provides REST based web services for remote consuming SharePoint data, you may consider to switch the role for SharePoint and WebSphere, that means,  consuming SharePoint web services from WebSphere. The advantage for this method is that you only need to invoke GET method for web service where read only permission is enough.

Here's an overview link about SharePoint 2010 development:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/hh147178(v=office.14).aspx

In contrast with SharePoint 2010, SharePoint 2013 provides more flexible ways to interact with other systems.  If you upgrade your SharePoint to 2013, you will be able to implement the logic in SharePoint App. Regarding the encryption, SSL should be the best option.

Thanks,
Reken Liu