Services Overview
A service is the top-level object that actually listens for traffic and processes it. DataPower offers several service types, each tuned for a purpose. You'll spend most of your time with the Multi-Protocol Gateway, but it helps to know the menu.
The main service types
Multi-Protocol Gateway (MPGW)
The general-purpose workhorse. Accepts requests on one or more protocols via front-side handlers, runs a processing policy, and forwards to a backend. Use it when you need flexible mediation, protocol bridging, or custom policy. Module 3 is dedicated to it.
Web Service Proxy (WSP)
Specialised for SOAP web services. You point it at one or more WSDLs and it auto-generates endpoints, validates messages against the schema, and lets you attach policy at the service/port/operation level. Use it to govern existing SOAP services.
XML Firewall
An older, simpler service for securing a single XML/SOAP endpoint — request/response processing with threat protection. Largely superseded by the MPGW and WSP for new work, but you'll still encounter it.
Web Application Firewall
Tailored to protect HTTP web applications (form/cookie handling, header rewriting, HTML-oriented threat protection).
API Gateway (API Connect)
The modern API-management service. When DataPower runs as the gateway for IBM API Connect, APIs defined in the control plane are deployed here and executed with an API-specific policy/assembly model.
How to choose
| If you need to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Bridge protocols, custom mediation, anything general | Multi-Protocol Gateway |
| Govern existing SOAP services from WSDL | Web Service Proxy |
| Manage REST APIs with plans, quotas, portal | API Gateway (API Connect) |
| Protect a classic HTML web app | Web Application Firewall |
| Secure one simple XML endpoint (legacy) | XML Firewall |
The common shape
Despite their differences, every service follows the same shape, which is why learning the MPGW transfers everywhere:
We unpack each stage starting in Module 3.
Knowledge Check
Which service is the general-purpose workhorse you’ll use for protocol bridging and custom mediation?
You want to govern a set of existing SOAP services defined by WSDL, with schema validation and per-operation policy. Which service fits best?