Question

If a make a soap webservice request from a client (android, desktop app, etc): is the connection alive and open as long as the webservice did not send the response?

Or does the webservice create a “new connection” for the response to the client?

Which one does apply to webservices?

Answer 1

Yes. The response will return back over the same connection. Web Service calls are done over HTTP which uses persistent TCP connections. HTTP1.1 requires the underlying connection to persist across requests. The next request would also reuse the underlying connection but that is not required or guaranteed