Paul Spencer paul.spencer@boynings.co.uk Using the ebXML Registry for e-Government Schema Management Paul Spencer paul.spencer@boynings.co.uk

Topics The need for a standards-based repository Some existing repositories in Government The requirements The OASIS eGov TC proof of concept © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

The need Large organizations need re-usable data items with known semantics These components are required as XML Schema components Components must be shared within and often outside the organization Components may use external components such as code lists elevation – how high something is or the angle you are pointing your gun © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

The need A registry/repository that stores both XML schema components and metadata a standards-based approach to allow sharing What is data, what is metadata? Depends where you start: schema or dictionary © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

An early attempt The UK Government Data Standards Catalogue pre-dated most of the standards work An XML-based metadata catalogue linked to small XML schema documents Schema documents can be imported into other schemas GDSC started as a Word document before all this XML stuff created XML file based around Dublin Core metadata © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

UK GDSC © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

A slightly later version The UK MOD already had a data dictionary SQL Server several thousand data items Now needed to add XML Schema components Additional requirement was to assemble "message" schema documents from components define architectural and message schemas © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

A slightly later version Quick solution was to create a text file of components use "id" attribute to link to data dictionary use "mod:Version" attribute to indicate component version use a self-describing assembly mechanism mod:Version is all that stops it being a schema document 2 days work © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

An MOD schema component <xs:complexType name="NATOstockNumberStructure" id="5897" mod:Version="1.0"> <xs:sequence> <xs:element name="NATOsupplyClassificationCode" type="NATOsupplyClassificationCodeStructure" mod:Version="1.0"/> <xs:element name="NATOitemIdentificationNumber" type="NATOitemIdentificationNumberStructure" </xs:sequence> </xs:complexType> © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

MOD DDR © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

MOD DDR © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk This is the current version showing the associated schema definition © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

Requirements From these and other projects around the world, we can get requirements relating to repository population schema assembly schema use import/export/federation repository management Mention Yellow Dragon Canada project © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

Registry requirements © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

Registry requirements mention Yellow Dragon © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

Registry requirements © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

Registry requirements © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

Registry requirements © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

OASIS eGov TC pilot project Discussion of the MOD work exposed a great deal of interest in OASIS eGov TC has approved a PoC / showcase Aim is to create a registry/repository to meet MOD/UK Gov and international government needs define best practice for its use This is why I am talking about the early stages rather than a completed project © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

OASIS eGov TC pilot project Main team Paul Spencer Farrukh Najmi, Sun Microsystems Carl Mattocks, CHECKMi Many others involved from other organizations © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

OASIS eGov TC pilot project Initial tasks are to map metadata requirements and build a registry Aspects of the requirement necessitate ebXML Registry v2.5+ Will use open source freebXML (ebxmlrr) registry v3 © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

Metadata Mapping Different applications have different metadata requirements Currently mapping UK e-GMS and MOD metadata to the ebRIM e-GMS is based on Dublin Core and forms the basis of MiREG – the European e-Government metadata standard MOD metadata is extended from e-GMS Scope for further mappings Scope for semantic registry ebXML Registry Semantic Content Management SC eGov Harmonising Taxonomies SC © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

Metadata Mapping © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

Registry Metadata, Repository Artifacts - Phase 1 Enter schemas and the associated metadata Enter schema components (global data types, elements and attributes) and associated metadata Enter other document types with associated metadata Hold schema definitions in a syntax-independent manner - sufficient information must be held in the registry to create the component from metadata Metadata to be supported will vary according to the three document types (schema, schema component or other) and will be a subset of that defined in the UK e-GMS Search on certain metadata information and extract all matching schemas, components or other documents Construct schemas from components © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk

Later Phases Further metadata mappings More emphasis on semantic content The ability for registries to inter-operate Consideration of mapping data via the ccRIM More security features © 2004 Boynings Consulting boynings.co.uk