Once the Corticon Server is installed and running deployed Decision Services, you can call this Decision Service by sending a request messages, and then inspect the response messages that return.

A Decision Service in a process or application works best when it is using the Decision Service's service contract, also known as its interface. A service contract describes in precise terms the kind of input a Decision Service is expecting, and the kind of output it returns following processing. In other words, a service contract describes how to integrate with a Decision Service.

When an external process or application sends a request message to a Decision Service that complies with its service contract, the Decision Service receives the request, processes the included data, and sends a response message. When a Decision Service is used in this manner, we say that the external application or process has successfully called the Decision Service.

To call a Decision Service as a web service:

  • Within Corticon Studio -


    When you run a Ruletest for a Ruleflow in Corticon Studio, the embedded in-process Corticon server is called to process the request and return the response. You did this in the Basic Tutorial. It is one of Corticon's greatest strengths, the ability to real-world test right on the workbench. See the Quick Reference topics Choose a test subject in the Studio workspace and Execute tests
  • From Corticon Studio to a Corticon Server -


    When you have an installed Corticon Server, whether Java or IIS, of the same version as Studio, you can run Ruletests as simulated Decision Services directly from the Studio. This technique enables pre-production testing of a Decision Service while it is still in development. See Choose a test subject that is a deployed Decision Service
  • As a request document submitted to a Corticon Server -


    You can abstract the tests from the Studio by exporting the JSON, SOAP and XML requests to text files. With a few minor edits, you can run them against a deployed Server from the Web Console. See the Quick Reference topics on How to export a testsheet
  • As a service contract request submitted to a Corticon Server -


    See How to integrate Corticon Decision Services