[CXF-3840] WS-Addressing and WS-RM: Nested Reference Parameters in request are not supported and become concatenated in the response to client

• Type: Bug
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 2.4.2
• Fix Version/s: 2.5, 2.4.4, 2.3.8
• Component/s: WS-* Components

Environment

Client: Oracle Service Bus 11g R1 Patchset 3
Server : RedHat SOA Platform 5.1.0.GA with CXF
OS: Windows XP SP3

• Estimated Complexity: Unknown
• Assignee: Jim Ma
• Reporter: Chris Bell
• Created: 02/Oct/11 10:38
• Updated: 01/Nov/11 02:11
• Resolved: 25/Oct/11 16:21

Description

I have created a test one way ping service on JBoss using CXF with Addressing and WS-RM. JBoss client to JBoss service works fine.

I have then created a service client on Oracle Service Bus (OSB) to the same service.

OSB creates reference parameters as follows:

<wsa:ReferenceParameters xmlns:serviceidentity="http://www.bea.com/ServiceIdentity">
<serviceidentity:ServiceIdentity xmlns:wsu="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2002/07/utility" xmlns:serviceidentity="http://www.bea.com/ServiceIdentity">
<serviceidentity:ServerName>AdminServer</serviceidentity:ServerName>
<serviceidentity:ServiceName>weblogic.wsee.conversation.msg.cluster.service</serviceidentity:ServiceName>
</serviceidentity:ServiceIdentity>
</wsa:ReferenceParameters>

and JBoss returns (as an element in the soap header)

<ns2:ServiceIdentity xmlns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/08/addressing" xmlns:ns2="http://www.bea.com/ServiceIdentity" xmlns:wsa="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/08/addressing" wsa:IsReferenceParameter="1">AdminServerweblogic.wsee.conversation.msg.cluster.service</ns2:ServiceIdentity>

So, I have looked at the CXF source and see that there is no provision for nested reference parameters as provided by OSB. Hence 2 child elements in the reference parameter returns a concatenated object that we see in the CXF response.

In section 2.3 of the WS-Addressing Spec (http://www.w3.org/Submission/ws-addressing/), the second rule states that:

Each [reference property] and [reference parameter] element becomes a header block in the SOAP message. The element information item of each [reference property] or [reference parameter] (including all of its [children], [attributes] and [in-scope namespaces]) is to be added as a header block in the new message.

The key in here is the [children], which implies that child elements of a reference parameter are acceptable and should be processed.

The MAPCodec.encodeReferenceParameters class.method in CXF does not appear to cater for nested reference parameter elements.

Am I correct in my understanding and therefore, this is a bug?

Many thanks in advance

Chris