Preparing to call MarcomCentral web services

In this procedure, you import WSDL files and install a security certificate. If your environment requires a proxy server to communicate with MarcomCentral, set up the system to use it. You decide whether you want to call operations in MarcomCentral web services in addition to those operations called by the sample input device, workflows, and notification. If you do, you learn the requirements of the operations and manually test the web services.
To prepare to call MarcomCentral web services:
  1. Before you make calls to MarcomCentral web services, do these tasks:
    1. Import a WSDL file for each MarcomCentral web service that you plan to call.

      RICOH ProcessDirector creates SOAP request objects from SOAP operations in the WSDL file. You specify a prefix that RICOH ProcessDirector adds to the names of the SOAP operations when it creates the objects. A SOAP request object lets RICOH ProcessDirector determine the SOAP version and other information required to make a correct call to the web service.

    2. Install a security certificate for MarcomCentral on the RICOH ProcessDirector primary computer.
    3. If your environment requires a proxy server to communicate with MarcomCentral, set up the system to use it.
    For more information, see the related tasks.
  2. If you have a production MarcomCentral store, we recommend setting up a test store.

    If you have a test store, you can test your input device, CallSOAPService steps, and notifications without accidentally processing or closing out real orders. You can establish that the communication between RICOH ProcessDirector and MarcomCentral works with simple orders and a basic process. You can add information to your web service calls and test new web service calls incrementally.

  3. Decide whether you want to call operations in MarcomCentral web services in addition to those operations called by the sample objects in theMarcomCentral Connect feature.

    The sample objects call these operations in MarcomCentral web services:

    • The sample MarcomReceiveOrders input device calls the GetOrdersByDate operation in the Order web service and retrieves orders within specified times and dates.

    • The CallSOAPService step in the sample MarcomProcessOrders workflow calls the GetJobTicketsByOrderNumber operation in the Job Ticket web service and retrieves all the job tickets for an order.

    • The CallSOAPService step in the sample MarcomProcessJobTicket workflow calls the GetJobTicketByLineItem operation in the Job Ticket web service and retrieves the URL of the file to download.

    • The sample MarcomCloseoutOrder notification calls the CloseoutByOrder operation in the Order Closeout web service and sends the order ID of a completed order.

      You can add information for invoicing, packing slips, and settlements to the Request payload property of the notification. As an alternative, you can do invoice, packing slip, and settlement operations individually by calling the Invoice, Packing Slip, and Settlement web services. For more information, see the MarcomCentral web services documentation.

    You can call any operation in any MarcomCentral web service, including Catalog and Inventory, from a CallSOAPService step or a SOAP web service notification.

  4. To call another operation in a MarcomCentral web service from the RICOH ProcessDirector workflows that process MarcomCentral orders and job tickets:
    1. Learn the requirements for communication with the MarcomCentral web service operation:

      • The values for requesting data

      • The format of the data provided in the response

      Refer to the MarcomCentral documentation for the web service or consult with the company.

    2. Run a manual test that authenticates with MarcomCentral and requests a response from the web service. Verify that the web service does the action that you want.

      Many browsers have plug-ins, such as Boomerang for Google Chrome, that test web service calls to SOAP clients.

      When the test call updates the correct information at your store and returns the correct response, the payload is ready to use in RICOH ProcessDirector.

    3. Save the payload in a text file.
    4. To put the call to the web service operation in a CallSOAPService step, add the step when you define the workflow for processing orders or job tickets. Copy the payload into the Request payload property of the CallSOAPService step.
    5. To put the call to the web service operation in a notification, add the notification after you define the workflows for processing orders or job tickets. Copy the payload into the Request payload property of the notification.

After you prepare to call MarcomCentral web services, you are ready to prepare to retrieve orders from MarcomCentral.

Related information:

MarcomCentral Connect
Importing WSDL files
Installing a security certificate for a web site
Setting up the system to use a proxy server
Parent topic: Setting up to process orders from MarcomCentral