Online Service Interview Questions and Answers: A Comprehensive Guide

The solution to provide a common communication platform for web applications developed using different programming languages such as JavaScript and Python is Web Services.

Web services use a standardized XML messaging system that is not only easily available through the web but also over a private network. Anyone interested in a career in web application development must have an understanding of web services.

Best Web Services Interview Questions and Answers Collection

Here, we have gathered the top web service interview questions and answers that will help you prepare for your upcoming job interview. So, here we go:

Question: Please enumerate the components of a Web service.

Analysis of Network Service Interview Questions: Here are the components:

• Extensible Markup Language (XML)
• Resource Description Framework (RDF)
• Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)
• Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI)
• Web Services Description Language (WSDL)

What are the web services interview question collections: Can you explain the term interoperability in the context of web services?

A: Generally, the term interoperability refers to the ability of two or more products or systems to work together without any special requirements. In the context of Web services, the term interoperability means communicating and sharing data and services between applications.

Question: What is your understanding of the various layers of the web services stack?

A: There are 4 layers to the Web services stack, each of which is responsible for certain tasks:

1. Service Transport – This is the first layer in the web services protocol stack. It helps in the transfer of XML messages between various client applications. This layer typically uses the following protocols:
   1. Block Extensible Exchange Protocol (BEEP)
   2. File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
   3. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
   4. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
2. XML Messaging – Based on the XML model, this is the layer where messages are encoded in a common XML format. This layer includes:
   1. Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)
   2. XML-RPC
3. Service Description – Consists of the available capabilities, locations, and data types for XML messaging. It describes the public interface for a particular Web service and includes WSDL.
4. Service Discovery – Provides a way to publish and find Web services on the Web. It includes UDDI.

Question: Do you know what the XML-RPC protocol is? Explain its characteristics.

A: XML-RPC is a remote procedure call that is responsible for invoking a function or procedure available on a remote computer. In other words, XML-RPC is a simple protocol that enables RPC execution via XML messaging.

In addition to establishing connections between various computers, XML-RPC is a great tool for connecting different environments. The following are the various features of the XML-RPC protocol:

• Allows communication to be established between different applications
• Has a small XML vocabulary to describe the nature of requests and responses
• An XML response is embedded in the HTTP response
• Platform-independent
• Use simple XML to perform remote procedure calls
• Use the HTTP protocol to pass information between the client and server computers
• XML-encoded requests are sent via HTTP POST

Question: Can you explain the term UDDI and its characteristics? What language does it speak?

Web Services Interview Question Analysis: UDDI or Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration is an XML-based standard in the service discovery layer of the Web services stack. It uses the Web Services Description Language (WSDL).

Because UDDI is like a directory, it’s used to find and publish web services over the web. The main features of UDDI are:

• Acts as a database containing all WSDL files
• Help businesses discover and interact with each other through the internet
• Open framework
• Platform-independent
• Communication is established using COBRA, Java RMI, and SOAP protocols

Question: What does RESTful Web Service mean? What are the various advantages of the same?

A: REST is the Contraction Re-Representation Factor Transfer (BOT). It is a stateless client-server architectural style for developing applications that can be accessed via the web. Web services that implement a RESTful architecture using HTTP methods are called RESTful web services.

Data and functionality are resources accessed as URIs in the REST architectural style. RESTful web services have desirable properties such as modifiability, performance, and scalability. Here are the key benefits of using RESTful web services:

• Can be written in any programming language
• Ability to easily test via a web browser
• A fast and lightweight protocol that consumes less bandwidth and resources
• Implementations with loose coupling
• Platform agnostic
• Provides support for a range of data formats, such as JSON and plain text, and technologies

What are the collection of web service interview questions: Please compare SOAP and REST.

Answer:

1. Coupling – Web services and clients are tightly coupled in SOAP. In addition, it defines a number of standards that should be strictly adhered to. Conversely, REST doesn’t follow much of a standard other than providing loose coupling
2. Data Format and Preferences – REST is preferred here, and it allows for a variety of data formats like HTML and JSON. SOAP only supports XML data formats
3. Intent – While SOAP is the standard protocol for creating Web services, REST is the architectural style for building Web services
4. Java API – The Java API for RESTful web services is JAX-RS, while JAX-WS is the Java API for SOAP web services
5. Requirements – REST requires less bandwidth and resources, and uses URIs to expose business logic. SOAP, on the other hand, requires more bandwidth and resources and uses service interfaces to expose business logic
6. Security – REST has neither a defined binding contract nor its own security methods. However, SOAP uses WSDL contracts to bind client programs and Web services, and has its own defined security methods.
7. Testing – Test SOAP web services using SOAPUI. Web browsers and extensions, such as Chrome postman, can be used to test RESTful web services, on the other hand

Web Services Interview Questions and Answers Collection: Can you name the core components of an HTTP request and an HTTP response.

A: The core components of an HTTP request are:

• HTTP Version – Represents the version
• Request Body – Represents the content of the message
• Request Header – Contains metadata, such as cache settings and client type, for HTTP request messages
• URI – Identifies the resource on the server
• Verb – Indicates HTTP methods such as GET, POST, and PUT

HTTP responses have the following core components:

• HTTP Version – Represents the current version of HTTP
• Response Body – Represents the content of the response message
• Response Header – Contains metadata, such as content length and server length, for HTTP response messages
• Status/Response Code – Indicates the status of the server requesting the resource

Question: What is your understanding of the term stateless in relation to RESTful web services? What are its advantages and disadvantages?

A: Following a REST architecture, RESTful web services are not allowed to maintain client state on the server. This condition is known as statelessness. In this case, the client passes its context to the server. The server then stores the context to process further client requests.

Advantage:

• Independent treatment of each method
• Simplified application design
• Use the HTTP protocol

Shortcoming:

• Require additional information for each request that interprets the state of the client every time a client interaction occurs

Question: What are the key points to follow when designing a secure RESTful Web service?

Answer:

• Execute methods such as DELETE, GET, POST, PUT, etc., with appropriate constraints
• Invoke HTTP generic messages anytime, anywhere
• Sensitive data, such as usernames and session token passwords, is passed through the POST method. Never use it via a URL
• Perform user session-based authentication every time a request is made
• Verify all inputs on the server from the SQL injection attack

Question: List the various advantages and disadvantages of SOAP.

Answer:

Advantage:

• Allows communication between various applications
• Decouple communication and coding protocols from the runtime environment
• Define and use your own security, known as WS security
• In addition to maintaining vendor neutrality, firewall issues are eliminated
• Allows messages to circulate in a decentralized and distributed environment
• Platform and programming language agnostic
• Use the HTTP protocol and XML to send and receive messages

Shortcoming:

• Lack of security features
• Clients and web services are tightly coupled
• Define the standards that should be strictly adhered to
• It is not possible to test on a web browser
• Lightweight formats other than XML are not supported
• Slower performance

Question: What are the various elements of a SOAP message?

Answer:

• Body – Contains the call and response messages. Also defined as a child element of an envelope that contains the entire application-derived XML data, which has been exchanged as part of a SOAP message.
• Envelope – Enforces the root element. Translate XML documents and determine the beginning and end of SOAP messages.
• Fault Element – Errors that occur during the processing of a processing message. If there is an error, it is displayed as a child element of the body.
• Header – Contains an optional header property that contains specific application information. To add new features and functionality, the element can appear multiple times in a single SOAP message.

Question: Please explain your understanding of SOA.

A: SOA stands for Service Oriented Architecture. It is defined as an architectural pattern that consists of services. In SOA, application components provide services to other components through communication protocols.

Communication may involve some kind of coordination activity between data exchange or services. The important key principles of SOA are:

• In addition to standardization, the service contract must also contain a full description of the service
• In order to handle different application types, services should be reusable
• Loose coupling defines fewer dependencies between Web services and clients
• The service abstraction rule must be followed, according to which the service should not expose the way functionality is performed to the client application
• Services should be stateless and must be discoverable

Question: What is your understanding of WSDL?

A: WSDL, or Web Service Description Language, is a simple XML document that exists in the service description layer of the Web service stack. It describes the technical details or locates the UI to a web service. It contains the following important information:

• Title information
• The name of the method
• Method parameters
• origin
• Port type
• Service endpoints

Problem: List the major security issues for Web services.

A: Here you will learn about the main security issues:

• Authentication – Used to verify the user’s identity and check if the user has access to the web service. This is also done to track user activity. You can consider the following options for authentication:
  • Application-level certifications
  • Client certificates
  • HTTP Digest and HTTP Basic Authentication
• Confidentiality – Any single web service may have multiple applications. Their service paths often contain a potential weak link at their node. Therefore, whenever a client sends a message or XML request to the server along with the service path, it must be encrypted.
• Cybersecurity – A very important security issue requires tools to filter web service traffic

Note: – To ensure reliable transactions and protect confidential information, web services require a high level of security. It is made possible through the Entrust secure trading platform.

Question: What are the various elements of a WSDL document?

Answer:

1. Bindings – Define and determine the protocol and data format for each port type
2. Messages – Define the data element for each individual action. It could be an entire document or a parameter that hasn’t been mapped yet
3. Action – Defines the action to be performed to process the message
4. Port Type – Defines the set of actions that can be performed for the binding
5. Type – Defines the type of message data used by the Web service in the form of an XML schema

Question: Is it possible to bind SOAP and WSDL?

A: It is possible to bind SOAP and WSDL. This can be done using the following two properties:

1. Name – Defines the name of the binding
2. Type – Defines the port to be bound

Question: Please explain the two properties of the <Port> element in WSDL.

Answer: Each <Port> element is associated with a different binding by defining a separate endpoint. The <Port> element has the following two properties:

1. Bindings – Refers to the binding process that must be performed in accordance with the linking rules defined by the WSDL
2. Name – Provide a unique name in the WSDL document

Question: What are the key points that should be considered when binding in WSDL?

Network Service Interview Question Analysis: When binding in WSDL, the port must not:

• Specify any type of binding information other than address information
• Specify multiple addresses

Question: Can you explain the various advantages of using Web services?

A: There are several advantages to using Web services, the most notable of which are described below:

• Assist in exposing existing features over the network so that they can be used by other applications
• Easy to deploy, integrate, and reuse
• Easy integration due to loose coupling
• Due to the use of the SOAP over HTTP protocol, the communication cost is low
• Provide some kind of required functionality to the client application
• Enables interoperability, allowing applications to easily communicate and share data and services with each other
• Communicate using a standardized web services stack

What are the web service interview question collections: What is your understanding of Web services?

A:A web service is a type of software that can be used in a virtual world and supports access to the Internet. It features an XML messaging system that allows users to interact over the web. A web service is an easy-to-understand interface that can be used by users.

Question: What is an example of a real-world Web service?

Answer:A real-world example of a web service is the IBM Web Services Browser. The web service can be purchased from the IBM Alphaworks site. The purpose of this browser is to display the various presentations associated with Web services. These web services can be used with the help of SOAP, UDDI, and WSDL, which helps provide a plug-and-play interface. This can be used for web services, including weather forecast services, traffic reporting services, stock quote services, and various other services.

Question: How do web services work?

A:Web services facilitate communication between a variety of other applications by applying open standards, including SOAP, WSDL, XML, and HTML. For example, we can create a Java-based Web service on Solaris that can be accessed from a Visual Basic program running on a computer window. Another example is the development of new Web services on Windows using C# by using a web application based on JSP or Java Server Pages and running on Linux.

Q: What are the benefits of using a web service?

A: There are several advantages to using web services. These include the following:

1. It helps to achieve cheaper communication costs. It is possible to use the existing Internet to use the network services.
2. It helps to apply standard protocols for each application. It helps all client applications to be written in different languages that they can understand. In this way, users are facilitated by using standard protocols that help achieve cross-platform.
3. It helps to achieve modularity. That is, web services can help create services for specific tasks, including tax calculations and various other tasks.
4. It helps with app reusability by exposing web services so that a variety of other applications can be used.
5. It helps provide interoperability through which an application can communicate with other applications that may be developed in any different language.

Web Services Interview Questions and Answers Collection: What is a Web Services Protocol Stack?

A:A web services stack consists of various protocols or processes for exploring and executing different types of web services. It consists of four layers and includes the following:

1. XML messaging.
2. Service discovery.
3. Service Transportation.
4. Service Description.

Question: What is XML-RPC in Web Services?

A:XML-RPC is a protocol that supports XML messaging services for making remote procedure calls.

Question: What is SOAP in Web Services?

A:SOAP is an XML-based protocol that helps in transferring data between different computer systems.

Question: What is the full form of WSDL? What is the role of WSDL in Web services?

A:WSDL stands for Web Service Description Language. Its function is to describe the user interface of a Web service. In this way, it acts as a service description layer in the Web services stack.

Question: Do we need the security of our web services? Interpretation?

Answer: Yes, we do need the security of our web services so that confidential information and transactions become reliable. Security in web services is achieved through SSL or Service Sockets Layer, which facilitates the creation of the Entrust secure trading platform.

Question: How did the concept of security services come about?

A: The concept of security services arose before the rise in the use of virtual worlds and the increase in some fraud, hacking, and virus attacks that affected the information exchange process and made data vulnerable. As a result, security services are regularly developed and upgraded, so that web services can be protected from any activity that affects the interests of users and causes harm to users. Various security services include the basics of deployment integration, authentication, encryption procedures, digital signatures, and authorization.

Q: What is the full form of EIS and EPS? What is the difference between the two?

A:EIS stands for Delegated Identity Service, while EPS stands for Delegated Privacy Service. Entrust Identity Services are built from the Entrust Security Platform, which enables enterprises to control trusted identities to perform a wide range of transactions for web services. Entrust Privacy Services, on the other hand, handles security and confidentiality by encrypting data to ensure that only interested parties and authorized personnel can access the data.

Question: Which browsers allow access to web services?

A: The various browsers that allow access to the Web Service include:

1. Internet Explorer
2. Safari
3. Firefox
4. Opera
5. Google Chrome and various others

Question: Define distributed technology?

A: Distributed technology allows applications to be split into different units and to transmit them to different computer systems and networks. The increase in the number of distributed applications has given rise to distributed technologies.

Question: What are the standards for Web services?

A:There are several standards in Web services. These include the following:

1. WSDL: used to create interface definitions.
2. HTTP: Used for communication channels.
3. UDDI: used to create a service registration.
4. SOAP: Used for structured data.

Question: What is DISCO in Web Services?

A:DISCO is known as discovery in Web services. It helps to group different lists of interrelated Web services. DISCO files are published on a server by the company that provides the web service so that all links to the web service can be used and used on the local network.

Q: Can we test the ASP.Net service?

A: Yes, we can test ASP.NET services on a regular basis. This can be done by calling the URL of the .asmx file in the browser, which displays complete information about the web service on the page.

Question: Is there a Microsoft solution for distributed applications?

A: Yes, Microsoft has two distributed application solutions. These are as follows:

1. .NET Network Services.
2. .NET Remoting.

Question: What are the prerequisites for deploying a web service?

Analysis of Network Services Interview Questions: The prerequisites for deploying a web service include the following.

1. Web Application Catalog.
2. Bin directory.
3. Web.Config file.
4. Disco file.
5. Network services.
6. Webservice.asmx file.

Question: How do we implement Web services in .NET?

A: We can implement Web services in .NET by applying HTTP handlers that are used to interrupt requests to .asmx files.

Question: Can we access web service class methods over the Internet?

A: Yes, we can use the Internet Access Web Service class method by using the WebMethod property qualifier method.

Question: What are the types of web services?

A: There are two types of web services, which include the following.

1. A SOAP-based web service: It consists of a contract or WSDL file.
2. RESTful web service: It does not contain any contracts or WSDL files.

QUESTION: WHAT ARE JAVA WEB SERVICES?

A:JAVA Web Services was developed to create and execute basic Web services on the JAVA platform.

• What are the different approaches to developing JAVA web services?

A: There are two ways to develop JAVA Web Services. These include the following:

1. Top-down approach.
2. Deposit method.

Question: What is JAXP?

A:JAXP IS A JAVA API FOR XML PROCESSING. IT HELPS JAVA APPLICATIONS WRITE, READ, TRANSFORM, AND MANIPULATE XML DATA. It performs various functions such as JAX-RPC, JAXB, JAXM, JAXR, etc.

WHAT ARE THE COLLECTION OF NETWORK SERVICES INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT JAVA PACKAGES IN THE JAXB BINDING FRAMEWORK?

A:THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT JAVA PACKAGES IN THE JAXB BINDING FRAMEWORK, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING:

1. xml.bind: It helps to define abstract classes and interfaces that are directly related to the content class.
2. xml.bind.util: It consists of utility classes that can be used by client applications to manage marshalling, validation, and unmarshalling events.
3. xml.bind.helper: It provides a partial implementation of the javax.xml.bind interface.

These APIs cannot be used directly by applications that are already running the JAXB architecture.

Web Service Interview Questions and Answers Collection Conclusion

This completes the list of top web services interview questions. What questions do you already know the answers to? Which surprised you?

This is a great course that can help you be fully prepared for any upcoming web services interview: Spring and the Spring Boot Interview Guide.