Technical overview

Service

Pull Model:

• RGBridge provides a reservation service that PMS can utilize to build a pull model connection.

• Function: In the pull model, the system requiring the information periodically connects to the originator to access the information.

• Advantage: The PMS does not need to build or deploy a web service that must be available at all times to receive new reservations.

Flow of reservations

Communication Protocols

HTNG Web Services Framework 2.1:

• This interface is developed according to the HTNG Web Services Framework 2.1 specification.

• It operates as a pull-model web service using synchronous workflow.

• Supported SOAP Versions: SOAP 1.1 over HTTP.

Message Exchange:

• Communication between the Channel Manager and PMS is facilitated through SOAP messages.

• Each message is contained within a SOAP envelope.

• Headers: All messages must contain an HTNG specified SOAP Header that complies with WS Security (authentication only) and WS-Addressing standards.

Web Services Standards:

• WS-Addressing August 2004

• Web Services Security: SOAP Message Security 1.0 (WS-Security 2004)

• Web Services Security UsernameToken Profile 1.0

General Design

Reservation Delivery Service:

• Provides two primary operations:

  1. OTA_ReadRQ: PMS sends a message to query RGBridge for any undelivered reservations.

  2. OTA_ResRetrieveRS: RGBridge returns a list of reservations.

• Processing: PMS processes the message and sends one or more OTA_NotifReportRQ messages with reservation confirmation numbers or errors after processing.

• Acknowledgment: RGBridge responds with an OTA_NotifReportRS to acknowledge receipt and mark the messages as delivered.

Authentication

WS-Security:

• All request messages exchanged between the PMS and RGBridge must be authenticated using the WS-Security mechanism of the SOAP standards.

• Conformance to HTNG Web Services Framework 2.1 specification is required.

SOAP Faults

Error Handling:

• SOAP Faults are used to handle error conditions.

• A SOAP fault is generated and returned if the message does not meet the web service specifications.

• It is possible to receive this response occasionally due to software malfunction.

• PMS should be able to receive and process SOAP faults.

Reliability Mechanisms and Constraints

Volume of Messages:

• Due to the high volume of messages exchanged between the Channel Manager and PMS, it is essential to implement the mechanisms and constraints described in Table B.

Type	Mechanism/Constraint	Description
Retry	Retry strategy for communication failure and in case of specific errors returned in XML response	The Systems and PMS will have a retry mechanism in place for communication errors and business error.
Concurrency	Simultaneous connections per property <= 1	PMS – RGBridge Interface will establish a single connection per Property at any given time for retrieving reservations.
Timeout	Time out after 60,000 milliseconds (1 minute)	Idle connections (no packets sent by either side) for more than 1 minute are closed. These should be considered as incomplete and implement a retry strategy to re-send data.
Character Set	Support for UTF-8	All messages exchanged must have UTF-8 encoding
Reservation Information	Support reservations with minimum information	There is great variation in the structure and amount of information available in reservations retrieved from OTAs. The PMS should be able to process reservations with the minimum amount of information.
Reservation Information	Support reservations delivered to DEFAULTROOM and DEFAULTRATE	Occasionally, reservations would be retrieved from OTAs which cannot be mapped to any existing room/rate types on RGBridge. RGBridge will deliver these reservations with Room type code set to “DEFAULTROOM” and Rate Type code set to “DEFAULTRATE”. PMS should be able to accept such reservations.
Payment Information	Support one-time delivery of credit card information	To comply with PCI standards, many OTAs and consequently RGBridge, deliver credit card information only once. PMS should be able to accept modifications and cancellations of reservations without credit card information.