A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for the distributed monitoring of a SOAP service is provided. A test configuration file specifying a test input is distributed from a central reporting location to at least one remote data processing system that has access to a SOAP service to be tested. The test configuration file is created without accessing the SOAP service to be tested. Furthermore, the user that created the test configuration file is not allowed access to the SOAP service to be tested.