State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Network 101 Nodes – Not as Nasty as Polyps

101 Purpose A basic introduction to the technology of the Exchange Network for attendees with something other than an IT background. ◦ What is it and why was it devised? ◦ Why should I care? ◦ How does it work? ◦ What do I have to do to participate? Minimal techie content included!

101 Topics Introduction to the Network Building blocks of the Network ◦ The WHAT: XML ◦ The WHERE: Nodes ◦ The HOW: Exchanges Expanding the Network Questions

INTRODUCTION TO THE NETWORK Network 101

What is the Exchange Network? An Internet and standards-based method for exchanging environmental information between partners. Internet State / Tribe x x yz y z County x x University EPA x x yz y z Internal System XML Schema Network Node Node Client

What is the Exchange Network? An Internet and standards-based method for exchanging environmental information between partners. Internet State / Tribe x x yz y z County x x University EPA x x yz y z Internal System XML Schema Network Node Node Client

A little like the POTS (plain old telephone system) Internet x x yz y z x x x x yz y z An Internet and standards-based method for exchanging environmental information between partners. inane gossip teenager’s my peeps Hello? Wassup peeps? I got some new bling Bet its phat!

With Telemarketers! Internet State x x yz y z x x x x yz y z

Benefits of EN Enables access to timely data Improved data quality Reduces data management burden ◦ Less dual data entry ◦ Less manual support Better decisions ◦ Better data, but also ◦ Wealth of new data now possible

Computers and robust data management The Internet and widespread data access 20 th Century Discoveries

20 st Century Limitations What if I need to use the data from many sites at once? What if I want to produce a map of those results? What if I want to combine the data with my collection of related facts?

20 st Century Exchange Data exchange technologies: ◦ Floppy ◦ FTP / EDI ◦ Data exchange formats: ◦ Database dumps files ◦ Flat file ◦ Spreadsheet document

20 st Century Exchange 21 st Data exchange technologies: ◦ Web services Data exchange formats: ◦ XML

History of the Network 2900 BCWriting invented 1998 ADECOS and EPA join forces 2000 ADBlueprint of NEIEN created 2003 AD Network Specification 1.0 Released 2003 AD EPA releases CDX Node 2003 AD Washington State release production Node 2004 AD13 States operational 2005 AD31 States operational 2006 AD 41 States and 1 Tribe operational 2007 AD National coverage

BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE NETWORK THE WHAT: XML Network 101

XML in a nutshell eXtensible Markup Language An “XML Document” contains the Data An “XML Schema” defines the Structure and the Rules of the data Schema are developed for each exchange type (e.g., Discharge Monitoring Report data) State / Tribe x x yz y z County x x University xy x y EPA x x yz y z www

Data: Just the facts

A filled out form XML Document:

XML Schema: A data entry form and instructions CODES MUST START WITH D, F, P, K OR X CANNOT EXCEED 12 CHARACTERS AT LEAST ONE CODE REQUIRED, NO LIMIT OF HOW MANY

Simple XML Creation Demo

<Tags> are data element names Data is between the tags

Is XML a silver bullet? XML documents get large Compression helps

Is XML a silver bullet? But agreement is still necessary To avoid data rejection

BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE NETWORK THE WHERE: NODES Network 101

What is a Network Node ? “ A simple environmental information Web Service that initiates requests for information, processes authorized queries, and sends/receives the requested information in a standard format. ” Web Service: "a software system designed to support interoperable Machine to Machine interaction over a network.“ W3C

Nodes Hardware and software used to exchange information on the Network Use the Internet, a set of protocols, and appropriate security to respond to authorized requests for information Send the requested information in a standard format, XML Each partner has only one Node State x x yz y z Tribe x x Business xy x y EPA x x yz y z www

What does a Node look like?

Node versus a Node Client Makes Requests of other Nodes Responds to Requests Comes with a closet Makes Requests of other Nodes Responds to spilt liquid Comes with a monitor Node Node Client

BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE NETWORK THE HOW: EXCHANGES Network 101

Network Exchange ‘Exchange’: the sharing of a specific type of data between two or more Partners. This is often also referred to as a ‘flow’. For example, sharing of water quality data.

Behind the Scenes Provider (STATE)Requestor (EPA) CDX NODE AGENCY NODE Program Database Query Processor Data Request Authenticate Authenticate Perform Query Perform Query Node Management Request received Request received Account/Service Authorized Account/Service Authorized Request logged Request logged Data Transformation Relational data retrieved Relational data retrieved XML transformation XML transformation Schema validation Schema validation AGENCY NODE Node Management Request results logged Request results logged XML payload returned XML payload returned CDX NODE Data Received Response logged Response logged Payload staged Payload staged Program Database Data Processed Payload validated Payload validated Data loaded Data loaded

Types of exchange 1. Data Synchronization ◦ Replicating data 2. Data Publishing ◦ Providing data

Data Synchronization

Data Publishing ? ?

Exchanges in Production Today’s Specials cross-program Facility Identification (FRS) Toxics Release Inventory Homeland Emergency Response waste RCRAInfo WasteX health Washington Fish Tissue Data Exchange Safe Drinking Water Water quality Pacific NW Water Quality Water Quality Exchange Beach Notification & Monitoring Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Discharge Monitoring Reports Electronic Drinking Water Report Underground Injection Controls air Air Quality System National Emissions Inventory

Implementing an Exchange A Data Exchange is made up of Data services XML formulation Data transformation State Data XML

3 Steps to start an Exchange 1. Map database to data elements 2. Develop XML creator/reader 3. Configure the Node State Data XML

Factors affecting exchange selection 1. Priorities for data sharing with Partners 2. Your data management authority 3. The exchanges that are proven / available 4. The status of agency information systems

EXPANDING THE NETWORK Network 101

Network Growth Currently ◦ Lots of Nodes

Network Growth Currently ◦ Lots of Nodes ◦ Mostly regulatory exchanges

Network Growth Currently ◦ Lots of Nodes ◦ Mostly regulatory exchanges Soon ◦ More Nodes ◦ More Publishing ◦ More Clients

Network Evolution More Partners are joining More exchanges are being developed The universe might expand beyond our “environment”

Node 2.0? Technology has matured since 2003 Much learnt after 5 years, 60 Nodes and 20 flows So the 1.1 specifications are being upgraded Forecast to be final in July or so This will result in a better Network Migration will not be seamless

Wrapping Up The Network is all about automating data sharing XML is just another way to package data Nodes are a little nasty, but so are phones if you open them up Look for existing solutions first, reuse is cheaper and avoids multiple “standards” Think outside the box, exchange can be powerful ‘Exchange’ is a state not a single event

The Future This is just the start of the ‘data revolution’. Everything is going to change.

QUESTIONS? Network 101