Information exchange the easy way How to use metadata (ISO 11179) and a method for message...

Information exchange the easy way

How to use metadata (ISO 11179) and a method for message development (ISO 17113) to create consistent exchange formats for B2B communication; and which tools support these standards?

Frans van Basten, Digitect, The Netherlands

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© 2008 Digitect B.V., The Netherlands

Brief abstract of the presentation

How to use metadata (ISO 11179) and a method for message development (ISO 17113) to create consistent exchange formats for B2B communication; and which tools support these standards?

Information exchange is critical for today's business. Within the business organization as well as between business partners. A generic methodical approach to information exchange, supported by intelligent tools, and based on standards, will lead to effective and efficient solutions that save time and costs and are easier to manage.A data dictionary conform ISO 11179 can help to solve the WHAT issue. All objects, properties and representations that are subject to exchange, can be described, so that a unity of language can be accomplished within a business comunity.The method for message development (ISO 17113) can solve the HOW issue: based on a relational Reference Information Model (RIM), hierarchic functional message definitions (HMD) can be defined. The message are always 100% consistent with the Reference Information Model. The functional messages can be mapped to multiple technical exchange standards, like Edifact, XML Schema and flat file formats.By adding relationships to the Meta Data standard (ISO 11179), the data dictionary can store the complete Reference Information Model (RIM) that will be the basis for developing exchange formats according to ISO 17113. Since often different tools are used for maintaining the data dictionary, developing messages and developing applications, it is important that meta data can be easily exchanged between these tools.EC-Design is an implementation of ISO 11179 and ISO 17113. It is a tool to design and specify comprehensive, interoperable and certifiable information exchanges without any knowledge of the underlying implementation technology. It can automatically generate multiple exchange syntaxes (XML, XML Schema, Edifact, flat file format). Any number of information exchanges (messages or web services) can be specified in a 100% consistent manner, based on one shared enterprise/business data model.EC-Design has a history of over 20 years. Many EC-Design users already saved time and money during analysis and implementation of information exchanges, and at the same time, greatly enhanced the quality and eased the strain of change management.

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Biographical sketch

Frans van Basten (1968)

Graduated in 1991 at the University of Amsterdam on the subject “EDI and relational databases”. In his professional career as consultant at Nedlloyd, Bakkenist, Deloitte and Digitect he further specialized into this subject, working for many commercial and non commercial organisations like Shell, Dutch Railways, European Commission, Companies Registration Office (Ireland), Dutch Tax Authority and standardisation organisations like EAN, CEN, NEN and Odette Europe.Besides his consulting activity, he is product manager of EC-Design (1998 – 2008), a tool that implements the ISO 17113 Development of Messages standard. He likes to develop intelligent tools and to setup teams to develop functional and technical specifications using international and company standards. He likes to work on international and in-company standardisation. He also likes to teach people how to use these standards.

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Content

Business to business (B2B) communication Meta data (ISO 11179) Development of messages for B2B communication (ISO 17113) Relation Meta Data – Development of Messages Extension to ISO 11179-3: Relationships Meta data should be easy to (re)use Interoperable Data Dictionary Architecture EC-Design implements ISO 11179 / ISO 17113 References

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Business to business communication (1)

Information exchange is critical For today's businesses, information exchange is critical. Within the business organisation as well as between business partners and co-competitors.Methodical approach and intelligent toolsA generic methodical approach to information exchange, supported by intelligent tools, and based on standards, will lead to effective and efficient solutions that save time and costs and are easier to manage.

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Business to business communication (2)

'123' (= 'cat')

Stakeholders:

Software suppliersService providers

Business partnersConsultants

Solution WHAT:Data Dictionary(ISO 11179)

Solution HOW:Development of messages (ISO 17113)

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Meta data (ISO 11179)

Object Class Property Representation

Object Class, Property and Representation, Bron: ISO 11179-3

Horse Height Hands measure

Data element concept

Horse height

1..10..*

1..10..*

Generic data element

Height hands measure

1..10..*

1..10..*

Data element

Horse height hands measure

1..10..*

1..1

0..*

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Development of messages for B2B communication

A community should agree on the functionality first. Functionality: Relational data model, containing objects,

relationships, properties and representations Functionality of an information flow can be expressed as a

hierarchic view on this relational data model Syntax and technique are enablers; they are not the solution to

the problem. The functionality can me mapped to many techniques.

The realisation should be derived from the functional specifications

EC-Design implements the combination of ISO 11179 and ISO 17113

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Development of messages (ISO 17113)Reference datamodel

Transactiondatamodels

Message datamodels

derive

derive

transaction mapping

XML Schema’sEdifact UNSMs

model mapping

XML TagsEdifact Segments

XML Schema’sEdifact UNSMs

inherit

inherit

inheritedmapping

BGM CNT PIANAD MEA SELDTM RFF IMD

Reference Information Model (RIM)

Hierarchic Message Definition (HMD)

Message Types

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Mapping to Technique<No relationship>

Message Types<No relationship>

Hierarchic Message Definition<No relationship>

Relation Meta Data – Development of Messages

Meta data (ISO 11179) Development of Messages (ISO 17113)

Object

Property

Representation

<Missing>

RIM.Entity

RIM.Entity.Attribute

RIM.Domain

RIM.Relationship

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Object Class

Relationship

0..*

1..1

0..*

1..1FromTo

Administered Item

Types of administered items

Extension to ISO 11179-3: Relationships

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Meta data should be easy to (re)use

Data DictionaryApplication

Meta Data tools

MessageDevelopment tools

SystemDevelopment tools

Database-tools

Exportfile

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EC-Design implements ISO 11179 / ISO 17113 (1)

Design and specify comprehensive, interoperable and certifiable information exchanges without any knowledge of the underlying implementation technology.

Design and specify based on international modeling standards: UN / CEFACT Modeling Methodology (UMM) Unified Modeling Language (UML) ISO 11179, ISO 17113

http://www.ec-design.nl

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EC-Design implements ISO 11179 / ISO 17113 (2)

Automatically generate multiple exchange syntaxes (XML, XML Schema, Edifact, Inhouse file format)

Specify any number of information exchanges (messages or web services) in a 100% consistent manner, based on one shared enterprise/business data model.

Save time and money during analysis and implementation of information exchanges, and at the same time, greatly enhance the quality and ease the strain of change management.

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EC-Design Reference Datamodel

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EC-Design Transaction and Messages

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EC-Design Mapping

Mapping to technical syntax Correctness check

Consistency between functional model and syntax» Repeat, Data type, Status

Output of specifications Humans: RTF and HTML Machines: translation table, W3C XML Schema, initialisation of EC-Infra

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EC-Test

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References

Belastingdienst BKWI Branche initiatieven / CIVI CEN – Europees Normalisatie Instituut Centre for Studies in Insurance Operations (CSIO), Canada CIOP, specificaties Elektronisch Leerdossier Companies Registration Office, Dublin, Ierland Douane GS1, voorheen EAN Nederland NIB Capital NEN – Nederlands Normalisatie Instituut RAI Data Centrum UWV

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Meta data aware software development

EC-Design

Application

• Data dictionary (ISO 11179)• Generic Message Service Definitions (ISO 17113)• Subset for each customer

•message subset•population subset

Implementation:Generic message services, that can produce customer specific messages in terms of message subset and population, by using structured metadata from EC-Design.

• Customer specific message services

• Configuration for each customer

Information exchange the easy way How to use metadata (ISO 11179) and a method for message...

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