1. Building a Data Portal with SDMX
The BIS SDMX Sandbox exercise
Gabriele Becker, Massimo Bruschi
Bank for International Settlements
Meeting on the Management of Statistical Information Systems MSIS 2012, Washington DC
21-23 May 2012 1

2. Background
First experience in the BIS Unified Data Catalogue (UDC) study (MSIS 2010)
SDMX 2.1 was released in February 2011
Enhanced features
SDMX web service specification
Updated tools released by Metadata Technology
BIS WebStats is based on some of these tools
Wish to lower the barrier for central banks to “play with” and experience the benefits of SDMX
SDMX is more than just a data exchange format ….

3. The SDMX vision Users need … The SDMX vision …
good quality data, up-to-date numbers, documentation
Single access point for data from different sources
User interfaces: GUI and also a Web service (for automation)
The SDMX vision …
Data providers (originators) offer their data “in SDMX”
Dissemination = reporting = data sharing … single storage !
SDMX registries help users to find data via a GUI and an SDMX Webservice
The BIS SDMX Sandbox exercise
How “real” is this SDMX vision?
Let’s have a look at the Sandbox and at different scenarios

4. The Sandbox setup “in the cloud”
14 participating central banks: 15 Sandboxes with
SDMX registry with user interface and SDMX web service
SDMX data base with data browser and SDMX web service
Space to host SDMX data files
User interface for loading files, performing registrations etc.
Detailed tutorials
1 Sandbox for the BIS to experiment and participate
The Data Portal (Unified Data Catalogue)
“central” SDMX registry operated by the BIS
Same user interface as “data browser”
Synchronises with the central and CB registries
Accesses registered data sources

6. Scenario I: “BOP” (Balance of payments)
National agencies have to “report” their data based on a commonly agreed data structure
This data needs to be available at international organisations and for the public
This is a real life scenario for BOP, National Accounts and other data domains demo
SDMX BOP data structure “for global use” is a prerequisite
We invented a simplified one for the purpose of this exercise …

8. Scenario 2: “dissemination database for BIS”
BIS wishes to disseminate data to internal users via a common data portal (example: BIS Banking Statistics)
BIS has/defines SDMX DSD for this data demo
BIS uses the SDMX database as “dissemination database” and loads the data via SDMX files demo
Internal users use the data browser (similar to UDC) to access the “BIS SDMX database” demo
For external dissemination the BIS registers its Sandbox database as a data source to the UDC demo
This also enables the UDC search service for this data demo

10. Scenario 3: “making public data available in a data portal”
ECB publishes a lot of data as SDMX files on its website
IMF and BIS offer the Joint Ext. Debt Hub (JEDH) contributions as SDMX files
Users may want to see this data via a common data portal
Organisations may wish to access this data via a SDMX 2.1 web service (that ECB, IMF and BIS currently do NOT offer) demo
Load SDMX DSD into registry demo
In future: SDMX registries provide this as a service …
Define Dataflow, Provision agreement and Categorisation
Register the data files as sources for the UDC demo
Done!

12. SDMX 2.1 Web service: automated retrieval
Rep. country
AT, AU
IBLR
Currency A
IBLR data
JEDH data

13. Conclusions I Building blocks are working in the SDMX Sandbox
SDMX registry and SDMX 2.1 webservice
SDMX data base (with webservice)
Front-end GUI (“data browser”)
Unified Data Catalogue
Connecting different data sources …
SDMX files from public websites
SDMX files from other (accessible) locations
Different SDMX versions (1.0, 2.0, 2.1)
SDMX databases (internal and external)
SDMX Webservice
First implementation of a federated SDMX registry

14. Conclusions II Harmonisation of data access techniques …
User sees all data through one “data portal” (the UDC)
SDMX 2.1 webservice for all data, also for those offered as SDMX 1.0 files
Webservice supports automated data retrieval
Works best with harmonised data structures!
BOP example
Key deliverable for SDMX and domain groups for 2012: DSD for global use for BOP and National Accounts
The SDMX Vision is real!

15. For the BIS …
SDMX Sandbox exercise likely to be continued and expanded within its constituency
Input for discussion on future direction of BIS Data Bank
For SDMX …
SDMX Sandbox is a good tool for promoting SDMX
Tutorials, very intuitive
Present at MSIS, OECD SDMX Experts Meeting, …
Input for SDMX Technical Working Group
Other SDMX sponsors to use it with their constituencies?

16. Thank you !