Genesys URS WebService Block Integration

Integrating a Simple ASP.NET SOAP Web Service with Genesys URS using the Web Services Block

Introduction

Genesys within its routing and GVP IVR provides a lot of flexibility and powerful abilities and one of them is to consume Web Services. This post will provide detailed walk through on how consume a Web Service in the Genesys Routing (URS / IRD). This post consists for three parts, first is to create a simple Web Service in ASP.NET C#. The Second part is consuming the Web Service in IRD and configuring the URS options for it. Last part is making the call and looking at the logs to see if the expected behavior is the same as we expected.

Please feel free to comment or contact me would love to hear your thoughts.

Part 1 – Creating Web Service

Once opened go to File -> New -> Web Site and create a new Web Service

Now let’s modify the function to fit our need, we will have a function that takes string as input and we will return a string array.

Next we will try to run in debug mode, just be sure if our web service works

Press “Ok” using the default option “Modify the Web.config”

Now click on the function name

Enter a Value and press Invoke to see the type of output we will be getting

Good now we have what we are looking for i.e. an Array of String.

Few Important Items to take note of when we are integrating with URS

We will be using the highlighted in Part 2

Deployment of Web Service to the IIS

Before deploying the Web Service to the IIS be sure to change the Authentication Mode to “None” in the web.config

Part 2 – Integrating with Genesys URS

Creating a new routing strategy.

Variables

Variable	Description
inputStringforWS	To Pass input into the Web Service block and further passed into the web service
outputfromWS	Receive the output from Web Service Block.
outputString1	First part of the received output form WS
outputString2	First part of the received output form WS

Let’s initialize a variable that we will be passing into the Web service Block

(Please note the Prefix Syntax used above in Method name and Method namespaces)

Web Service URL: The Web service URL

The three following are highlighted in the above snapshot, when we created the Web Service

Method name: “modifyStringtoArray”

Method namespace: “SampleTestWS”

SOAPaction: “SampleTestWS/modifyStringtoArray”

Request Parameters

Key (the variable name of the input in Web Service) and Value (that value we will be passing which is set in the first function of this routing strategy)

Security Tab of the Web Service Block

For this demo we will be using Anonymous Access as HTTP Auth

Result Tab of the Web Service Block

We have only one variable returned (i.e. an array of string)

Now that we are all set sets put exception logging

The final part of reading our output, this way since we have an array of string returned and we know its 2 in count so we can easily use the “ListGetStrig” function.

Before you go executing the Web service and placing test calls, let’s verify that you have done the necessary in URS.

Setting up the URS Application (using CME)

Please verify that you have the Web tab in the Options of the URS which following keys.

Setting up the Web options is a mandatory task and quite helpful in troubleshooting once the HTTP Bridge logs are being created.

[web]

http_log_file=C:\mylogsfolder\URShttpBridge

http_log_size=10000

http_port=8088

log_buffering=false

soap_conn_idle_timeout=15

soap_retry_attempts=3

soap_retry_timeout=10

verbose=3

* http_port be sure to use an unassigned TCP port here.

Part 3 – Executing and Log checking

Let’s put our routing strategy on a route point and place a call to see how things go.

All done, now let’s put a call through and look at the logs

Hurry J we have our excepted response highlight below in light green, following is the URS HTTP Bridge.

Now the Last part of this Post is to verify if the response received from the Web services has reached our Variables in routing strategy (via the URS Logs)

Test Environment Details

For this scenario, I have a Windows 7 Professional Machine (my laptop) and a Genesys running on Virtual Machine running on top of it, details of version are listed below. 
Note that there is no firewall between the two machines (just in case you are struggling with networking)

Versions

Non-Genesys  Components	Version
IIS	7.5.7600.16385
OS (IIS deployed On)	Windows 7 Professional SP 1
SOAP Version	1.1
Visual Studio	2010
Microsoft .NET Framework;	4.0.30319
ASP.NET Version	4.0.30319.34249

Genesys  Components	Version
Framework	8.0
URS	8.0
HTTP Bridge	8.0
IRD	8.0
SIP Server	8.0
Stat Server	8.0

List of Terms

Term	Description
IIS	Internet Information Server (Microsoft)
SP	Service Pack
URS	Universal Routing Server
SOAP	Simple Object Access Protocol
IRD	Interactive Routing Designer
Web Service	SOAP Based Web Service
Web Service block	The IRD Block for calling web service