How to share schemas between BPEL-processes?

Question

Hello everyone!
I'm trying to build a simple BPEL-SOA-like application using Oracle SOA Suite. How can I share these schemas between the different processes?
For example I have a "main" BPEL process which receives a customer as input and later has to pass this customer on to some other Web Service. As they should both use the same data structure (I created a XML schema definition, complextype), I'd like to know how one would share this structure between the two processes.
Or do I really have to copy the .xsd-files to every process and include it there or define the types inline? But then I'd to use the same namespace overall, because the types wouldn't be compatible otherwise.
Thanks for any hints and best-practices!
Jan.

Answer 1

If you want to have a generic xsd that you can use
for multiple purposes in several independent
processes (not calling each other) you can either put
the xsd in each of them or put it on a website where
bpel can download them. Since Oracle AS comes with
Oracle HTTP server, you can put it into its htdocs or
create a virtual name server for it.I tried to make it accessible via HTTP and then imported it in the BPEL process' XSD-file. But unfortunately, then BPEL Console is not able to create a valid payload-message. The form with the input fields is displayed correctly, but the XML is empty! When I use inline-defined types, everything works fine!
If you want to use some types in dependent process
(that calls the master process), there is no need to
do this, just create partnerlink and JDeveloper will
create an import for you in bpel project. Then you
can create variables of those types. In this
scenario, putting the same xsd with the same target
namespace is not recommended, as you could run into
weird errors (for example if one xsd changed without
synchronizing the other one) or it might work.I don't really understand how this should work. Let's say I have process A and process B. Process A defines "AProcessRequest" in file A.xsd. In this type, I want to use for example the type "Customer". Process B also has to use the Customer-type in its "BProcessRequest" ... or should I rather define the types in the A.wsdl? I'm a bit lost here, sorry ;-)
Thanks and greets,
Jan.