WebSphere Application Server - Express supports deployment of Web services using a multipart Web Services Description Language (WSDL) file. That is, WSDL files import other WSDL files when the WSDL file listed in the <wsdl-file> element of the webservices.xml deployment descriptor contains all <wsdl:service> and <wsdl:port> elements. The WSDL file is divided into an implementation WSDL and an interface WSDL.
The <wsdl:import> element indicates a reference to another WSDL file. If the <wsdl:import> element location attribute does not contain a URL, that is, it contains only a file name, and does not begin with http://, https:// or file://, the imported file must be located in the same directory and must not contain a relative path component. For example, if WEB-INF/A_Impl.wsdl is in your module and contains the import statement <wsdl:import="A.wsdl" namespace="..."/>, the file, A.wsdl must also be located in the module WEB-INF directory.
It is recommended that all WSDL files be placed in the WEB-INF/wsdl directory if you are using Java beans, even if there are relative imports within the WSDL files. Otherwise, there are implications when the WSDL publication is involved with <location="../interfaces/A_Interface.wsdl" namespace="..."/>. Using a path like this fails due to the presence of the relative path, regardless of whether the file is located at that path or not. If the location is a URL, it must be readable at both deployment and server startup.
WSDL publication
The files located in the WEB-INF/wsdl directory can be published through either a URL or file, including WSDL or XSD files. For example, if the file referenced in the <wsdl:file> element of the webservices.xml deployment descriptor is located in the WEB-INF/wsdl directory, it is publishable. If the files imported by the <wsdl:file> are located in the wsd/ directory or its subdirectory, they are publishable.
If the WSDL file referenced by the <wsdl:file> element is located in a directory other than wsdl/, or its subdirectories, the file and its imported files, either WSDL or XSD files, which are in the same directory, are copied to the wsdl/ directory without modification when the application is installed. These types of files can also be published.
If the <wsdl:file> imports a file located in a different directory, the file is not copied to the wsdl/ directory and not available for publishing.