SOAP transport mechanisms — assess the claim: “SOAP uses HTTP as its only transport mechanism.” Decide whether this statement is correct or incorrect.

Introduction / Context:
SOAP (formerly “Simple Object Access Protocol,” now just “SOAP”) defines a protocol for exchanging structured messages. While SOAP over HTTP is very common, the specification is explicitly transport-agnostic. This question checks awareness that SOAP messages can be carried by multiple transports.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• SOAP envelopes are XML-based messages.
• Transports can include HTTP/HTTPS, SMTP, JMS, raw TCP, and others as supported by toolkits.
• Binding details are described in WSDL or configuration rather than baked into SOAP itself.

Concept / Approach:
SOAP provides a message structure (Envelope, Header, Body, Fault) independent of the transport. HTTP is popular for firewall traversal and web integration, but SOAP bindings exist for multiple transports. Thus, the claim that HTTP is the “only” transport is incorrect.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Real-world middleware (ESBs, message brokers) support SOAP over JMS or MQ; documentation and WSDL samples confirm multiple transport bindings beyond HTTP.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• “Correct” misstates the protocol’s transport neutrality.
• Claims tied to SOAP 1.1/WSDL 1.1 remain wrong; both allowed non-HTTP transports.
• “Valid for REST” is irrelevant; REST is an architectural style, not SOAP.

Common Pitfalls:
Equating “most common in practice” with “only possible”; ignoring enterprise messaging bindings widely used behind the firewall.

Final Answer:
Incorrect