This figure illustrates the passage of a SOAP request from the client to the business logic on the server. The SOAP request passes from the client through a layer of management for outbound messages before it is sent over the wire. When it reaches the server, the request must pass through a layer of management configuration for inbound messages before it is used by the business logic. The values given to the server-side management must be coordinated with the values in the client; otherwise, the request might be rejected before reaching the service implementation.

Similarly, the response from the business logic on the server reverses the process. The response must pass through a layer of management for outbound messages before it is sent over the wire. When it reaches the client, the response must pass through a layer of management for inbound messages before the client can use it.