Error Handling

Your PMS/RMS should have a strong error handling system that can queue and resend errors. Additionally, you need to inform hoteliers about any errors that impact the synchronization of their data through pmsXchange.

Ensure that your system waits for a response from SiteMinder before sending additional requests for the same site. Set an appropriate timeout duration, between 60 and 120 seconds, to allow requests to complete before retrying. This prevents unnecessary retries and ensures smooth communication.

Application Level

If the response from SiteMinder contains an OTA RS message with an 'Error' element, it indicates that the update cannot be processed due to invalid data. Here are some common application-level error scenarios:

Missing element/attribute

Missing Required Elements or Attributes: Adjust your implementation to ensure all required data is sent.

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:SOAP-ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
   <SOAP-ENV:Header/>
   <SOAP-ENV:Body>
      <OTA_HotelAvailNotifRS Version="1.0" TimeStamp="2025-10-25T01:32:55+00:00" EchoToken="TEST9BA23FF4-2EE4-11EF-2426-09173F13E4C5" xmlns="http://www.opentravel.org/OTA/2003/05">
         <Errors>
            <Error Type="10">The content of element "AvailStatusMessages" is not complete. One of "AvailStatusMessage" is expected</Error>
         </Errors>
      </OTA_HotelAvailNotifRS>
   </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:SOAP-ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
   <SOAP-ENV:Header/>
   <SOAP-ENV:Body>
      <OTA_HotelAvailNotifRS Version="1.0" TimeStamp="2025-10-25T01:33:55+00:00" EchoToken="TEST9BA23FF4-2EE4-11EF-2426-09173F13E4C5" xmlns="http://www.opentravel.org/OTA/2003/05">
         <Errors>
            <Error Type="3" Code="450">The HotelCode length must be equal to or greater than 1</Error>
         </Errors>
      </OTA_HotelAvailNotifRS>
   </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

Incorrect Credentials

Incorrect Credentials: Verify that the correct username and password are set in your PMS/CRS/RMS. If you believe the details are accurate, confirm them with our PMS Support team.

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:SOAP-ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
   <SOAP-ENV:Header/>
   <SOAP-ENV:Body>
      <OTA_HotelAvailNotifRS Version="1.0" TimeStamp="2025-10-25T01:29:05+00:00" EchoToken="TEST9BA23FF4-2EE4-11EF-2426-09173F13E4C5" xmlns="http://www.opentravel.org/OTA/2003/05">
         <Errors>
            <Error Type="4">Authentication failed - PMS received request with invalid username/password</Error>
         </Errors>
      </OTA_HotelAvailNotifRS>
   </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

Invalid Hotel Code

Invalid Hotel Code: Ensure the Hotel Code is entered correctly in your PMS. If you think the code is correct, contact our PMS Support team to verify it.

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:SOAP-ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
   <SOAP-ENV:Header/>
   <SOAP-ENV:Body>
      <OTA_HotelAvailNotifRS Version="1.0" TimeStamp="2025-10-25T01:27:05+00:00" EchoToken="TEST9BA23FF4-2EE4-11EF-2426-09173F13E4C5" xmlns="http://www.opentravel.org/OTA/2003/05">
         <Errors>
            <Error Type="6">PMS is not authorized to access hotel with HotelCode=XXXXX</Error>
         </Errors>
      </OTA_HotelAvailNotifRS>
   </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

Below is an outline of the OTA (OpenTravel) standard EWT and ERR codes that will be used alongside the error messages specified in each pmsXchange API response.

OTA Error Warning Types

EWT	Error Type	Description
1	Unknown	Indicates an unknown error.
3	Biz rule	Indicates that the XML message has passed a low-level validation check, but that the business rules for the request message were not met.
4	Authentication	Indicates the message lacks adequate security credentials
6	Authorization	Indicates the message lacks adequate security credentials
10	Required field missing	Indicates that a required element or attribute, as defined by the schema or agreed upon by trading partners, is missing from the message. In the context of pmsXchange, this error will also be returned if the XML message does not conform to the data type restrictions specified by the XML schema.
12	Processing exception	Indicates that an undefined exception occurred during the processing of the request.

pmsXchange Error Descriptions

Error Name	Error Description
Invalid Endpoint	Authentication failed - PMS does not exist
Invalid Requestor ID	Inconsistent PMS codes. PMS 'PMSCODE' does not match RequestorID 'PMSCODEX'
Invalid Credentials	Authentication failed - PMS received request with invalid username/password
Invalid Hotel Code	PMS is not authorized to access hotel with HotelCode=HOTELCODE
System error
Unable to process

HTTP Server Level

1. 500 Internal Server Error: This usually means the request is malformed or cannot be parsed. Implement a retry strategy and flag the message for your development team to review.

2. 503 Server Unavailable: This typically indicates that we are performing maintenance on the pmsXchange service. Your implementation should retry any failed messages as part of a retry strategy.

Handling HTTP 500 Error Responses

For more information on suggested handling methods, refer to the page Handling HTTP 500.

Soap Faults

A SOAP fault can be returned in the event of an unexpected error, such as when the XML in a SOAP message cannot be parsed. The SOAP Fault will specify which party is at fault (CLIENT or SERVER).

Example

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:SOAP-ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
   <SOAP-ENV:Header/>
   <SOAP-ENV:Body>
      <SOAP-ENV:Fault>
         <faultcode>SOAP-ENV:Client</faultcode>
         <faultstring xml:lang="en">Invalid SOAP message</faultstring>
      </SOAP-ENV:Fault>
   </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

Example

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:SOAP-ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
   <SOAP-ENV:Header/>
   <SOAP-ENV:Body>
      <SOAP-ENV:Fault>
         <faultcode>SOAP-ENV:Client</faultcode>
         <faultstring xml:lang="en">Namespace prefix s on Envelope is not defined</faultstring>
      </SOAP-ENV:Fault>
   </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>