Putting XML to Work in portal-based business processes September 11, 2000 Powered by Point of...
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Transcript of Putting XML to Work in portal-based business processes September 11, 2000 Powered by Point of...
Putting XML to Workin portal-based
business processes September 11, 2000
Powered by <XML>
Point of Contact: Mike [email protected]
Focus
A brief introduction to XML
Some US Government XML initiatives
Viewing the portal as analternative architecture for information operations
XML -- at work in the portal
Some operations in detail
Issues for planning
XML Basics
• XML 1.0 is a W3C Specification
Approved in February 1998.
• HTML* defines how data can be displayed in a standard browser
The accessibility and usability of the Web exploded when a working draft of HTML was published (1992)
• XML* defines what the data is ...in context. *Derived from SGML
XML Defined: Content in Context
<employee><employee><name><name>
<last><last>SmithSmith</last></last><first><first>GregGreg</first></first>
</name></name> <address><address>
<<streetstreet>>123123 ColumbiaColumbia StreetStreet</street></street> <city><city> ColumbiaColumbia</city></city>
<state><state>MarylandMaryland</state></state></address></address><college><college>Columbia Columbia UniversityUniversity</college></college><leisure><leisure>
<athletics><athletics>Rafting on theRafting on the ColumbiaColumbia RiverRiver</athletics></athletics><travel><travel>District ofDistrict of ColumbiaColumbia</travel></travel><hobbies><hobbies>Build models of the Space ShuttleBuild models of the Space Shuttle
ColumbiaColumbia</hobbies></hobbies></leisure></leisure>
</employee></employee>
CONTENTCONTENT CONTEXTCONTEXT
Some XML Vocabularies
• Legal XML Working Group Legal XML Working Group • Instrument Markup Language Instrument Markup Language • NewsML NewsML • PetroXML InitiativePetroXML Initiative• Steel Markup LanguageSteel Markup Language• XML for the Automotive Industry XML for the Automotive Industry • Weather Observation Markup Format Weather Observation Markup Format • Chemical Markup Language Chemical Markup Language • Electronic Health Record Electronic Health Record • Financial Products Markup Language Financial Products Markup Language • Geography Markup Language Geography Markup Language • HR-XML HR-XML • Extensible Business Reporting LanguageExtensible Business Reporting Language• Materials Property Data Markup Language Materials Property Data Markup Language • Product Data Markup LanguageProduct Data Markup Language• WAP Wireless Markup Language Specification (WML)WAP Wireless Markup Language Specification (WML)
DII COE* XML Registry (DISA)Namespaces*
• Aerospace Operations
• COE Enterprise
• Combat Support
• Geospatial and Imagery
• General Military Intelligence
• Ground Operations
• Meteorological and Oceanographic
• Messages
• Tracks and Reports
* a collection of people, agencies, activities, and system builders who share an interest in a particular problem domain or practical application
SEE:
http://diides.ncr.disa.mil/shade
** Defense Information Infrastructure Common Operating Environment
DoD XML Initiatives• DII COE Data Access TWG• Joint Digital LIbrary• Joint Ammunition Management• Virtual Information Resource Center• Context-based Object Representation Environment• Distributed Information Agents• Defense Information Technology Testbed• Logistics Command and Control (Army R&D)• Command Post XXI (Army R&D)• Garlic Fries (track archiver and archive broker)• eCommerce for C2 and Logistics (Air Force R&D)• Intelligence XML Study Group (CIA)• Intelink• Secure Intel Data Repository• Semi-Structured Data Management (Intel R&D)• GCCS Maritime
Other Federal XML Initiatives• Federal CIO Council XML Working Group
• Key documents– Recommendations of the ad-hoc XML Working Group to the CIO
Council’s EIEIT Committeehttp://cio.gov/docs/xmlreport.htm
– eXtensible Markup Language (XML): Greek, Esperanto, Panacea or Snake Oil? http://users.erols.com/ambur/xml.htm
Owen Ambur (USFWS, Co-Chair XML WG)
– Getting Started with XML in the Federal Government: Recommendations to the EIEITC XML Working Group(This is available at the XML WG website)
Mark Crawford (Logistics Management Institute)
• Diverse intra-agency initiatives
Sequoia Software is a leading provider of
XML-basedinternet infrastructure software
for creating interactive e-business &
e-government portals
EIPEIPTaxonomyTaxonomy
Market feedMarket feedCONTENT PROVIDERCONTENT PROVIDER
News feedNews feedCONTENT PROVIDERCONTENT PROVIDER
SearchSearchINDEX-LEVERAGEDINDEX-LEVERAGED
Task support dataTask support dataENTERPRISE SYSTEMSENTERPRISE SYSTEMS
DocumentsDocumentsENTERPRISE SYSTEMSENTERPRISE SYSTEMS
InteractivityInteractivityENTERPRISE SYSTEMSENTERPRISE SYSTEMS
To-do listTo-do listENTERPRISE APPLICATIONENTERPRISE APPLICATION
CalendarCalendarENTERPRISE APPLICATIONENTERPRISE APPLICATION
Common Portal Components
• Directly improve e-business processes
• Increase worker productivity through information aggregation
• Improve access to information
• Facilitate on-line collaboration and user interaction
• Re-purpose enterprise information
• Revolutionize the architectureof information operations
Enterprise Business PortalsEnterprise Business PortalsStrategic objectivesStrategic objectives
Delphi Group
“Next Generation Portals” (6/00)
• The interactivity and velocity required of e-business mandate a portal environment that supports the rapid integration of rapid integration of allall business-critical information resources business-critical information resources.
• The entire value chainentire value chain, including employees, customers, partners, and suppliers must be able…to modify existing information and write new information to each other’s systems through the portal
This paper is available athttp://www.sequoiasoftware.com/xps/delphiwp.pdf
Delphi Group
“Next Generation Portals” (6/00)
• Today’s portals are full of one-way streetsone-way streets on which information travels to the user. Individuals are not able to publish information directly…nor are they able to modify existing information in those systems….
• Velocity in the portal is constrained constrained by weak systems integration, the lack of bi-directional information flows, and limited access device options.
Delphi Group
“Next Generation Portals” (6/00)
• We are seeing the introduction of next generation portals todaytoday. One of these is the XML Portal Server from Sequoia Software.
• XPS eases integrationXPS eases integration with other applications and information sources, including those owned and maintained by other members of an extended value chain.
• The Sequoia portal enables true interactivitytrue interactivity with these systems and speeds the flow of information…regardless of what device they use.
E-Business Portal Framework
EmployeesPartnersCustomers
XML Portal ServerXML Portal Server
A port authority’s e-business stakeholders
• Airlines• Railroads• Steamship lines & agents• Pilots and towage• Motor freight companies• Brokers & freight forwarders• Tenant operators• State of _______• ________ County• City of ________• US Corps of Engineers• INS, US Customs• US Coast Guard• APHIS• DOD
• Executive management• Planning & investment• Business development• Operations & security• Information technology• Project offices• Finance & accounting• Acquisition & contracts• Maintenance & service contracts• Legal• Facilities & property
management• Human resources• Unions• The public
ExternalExternal InternalInternal
Sequoia’s XML Heritage
• XML server development begun in 1997
• Sponsoring Member of OASIS
• Recipient of NIST ATP grantR&D on massively distributed XML document technology to support location, search, and retrieval for 270,000,000 patient records on a national-scale IP backbone
• Sequoia has embedded XML as thefundamental DNA of its XML Portal Server
How Sequoia’s XPS uses XML 1 of 3
The XML portal supports “loose coupling” of enterprise systems and personnel
Applications in XPS are tied together using XML messaging
The portal is a set of configurations stored as XML files from which agents determine their behavior
An XML message to the XPS security broker is the initial input to user authentication process
How Sequoia’s XPS uses XML How Sequoia’s XPS uses XML 2 of 32 of 3
XML content-in-context supports rules-based routing and workflows
XML templates are mapped to HTML data entry (e-forms) for interactive portal operations
Spiders crawl information sources to build an XML index for enterprise search-and-retrieval
How Sequoia’s XPS uses XML 3 of 3
XML enables external web metasearches using multiple search engines to providea combined resultset
XML stylesheets re-purpose data for multiple roles, access rights, and devices
Semio's Taxonomy engine is functionally integrated with XPS using XML messaging.
XML messaging supports interoperability with external partners
Reference ArchitectureBrowserBrowser
InformationInformationSourceSource
InformationInformationSourceSource
InformationInformationSourceSource
InformationInformationSourceSource
InformationInformationSourceSource
Plus Other Applications and External Web ResourcesPlus Other Applications and External Web Resources
Process AutomationServices
and XML Repository
XML Interface
XML Application Server
XML InterfaceXML XML
Portal Portal ServerServer
XML Search XML Search FacilitiesFacilities
FTR Search FTR Search FacilitiesFacilities
Semio Search Semio Search FacilitiesFacilities
Portal Portal Management Management
ConsoleConsole
Content Delivery Services
Layout Content SelectionSecurityPersonalization
Crawlers Spiders
Conte
nt D
eliv
ery
Agent
Conte
nt D
eliv
ery
Agent
Any Level 4 browserAny Level 4 browser
XML Repository
BrowserBrowser BrowserBrowser
External XML Transaction Architecture
• Serves as conduit between Sequoia XPS and external systems
• Accepts data in an XML messaging format (with published schema)
• Allows XPS facilities to be applied to all external data
• Provides for propagation of modified data back to the external data source
Leveraging the back-end
Information Connectors
Data Source Adapters
Message Builder
Transport Adapters
XML Messages
EDI SAPLotusNotes Oracle Ariba
SMTP FTP HTTP File MSMQ
Transaction
Dispatcher
AgentConfiguration
Store
AgentTrue
False
Message Processing
Receivers
Service
Service
File (Hot Directory)
FTP
IIS
HTTP
Service
SMTP
QueueMessage
Processors
LoadBalancer
Content-Based Routing
<Content/>
Queue Log Log MessagesMessagesSendSend
E-mailsE-mails
RoutingRoutingServiceService
Events trigger Events trigger the Routing Servicethe Routing Service
Rules determineRules determineresulting actionresulting action
CreateCreateWork ItemsWork Items
Databases
Local and Network File
Systems
Automatic Categorization (optional Semio Taxonomy)XPS Index
SmartSummaries
Websites
LegacySystems
XPS Agent: Indexing
Search and Retrieval
• Structured and unstructured data
• Index multiple content formats
– MS Office, PDF, XML, WordPerfect, etc.
• Enterprise search
– Fulltext and contextual queries
• Meta-search
– Parallel query produces aggregated result-sets
– Users configure internet search engines
Taxonomy & the Portal
Automated categorization contributes to portal operations
– Standardizes the enterprise’s business process lexicon
– Provides reference for XML tagging and namespace standardization
– Adds to the “information discovery” toolset
– Augments the XML index repository
Taxonomy Starter File
Automatic Generation
Products
Access Router
Router
Semio’s Approach to Taxonomy Building
ODBC
Semio Technology
Lexicon
ClusteringExtraction
Document Collection
Clusters
•<tagset> <document> <docurl>http://www.nwfusion.com:80</docurl> <tag> <tagname>Ecommerce</tagname> <weight>1.289</weight> </tag> <tag> <tagname>Network Management</tagname> <weight>0.746</weight> </tag> <tag> <tagname>Skills</tagname> <weight>0.659</weight> </tag> </document></tagset>
S E Q U O I A
Semio Taxonomy ResultsSemio Taxonomy Results
<patient> <mrn>12345</mrn> <name>Ron Capwell</name> <address> <street>5457 Twin Knolls Rd.</street> <city>Columbia</city> <state>MD</state> <zip>21045</zip> </address> <phone> <home>410 555-8888</home> <work>410 666-7777</work> </phone> <medications> <drug>Lithium</drug> </medications> <allergies> <allergy>Pollen</allergy> <allergy>Cats</allergy> </allergies> <lastEncounter>02/15/1999</lastEncounter></patient>
Smart SummarySmart SummaryTMTM
<result app=“Lab” mrn=“12345”> <date>02/15/1999</date> <allergies> <allergy>Pollen</allergy> <allergy>Cats</allergy> </allergies></result> Lab SystemLab System
<patient app=“patient record”> <mrn>12345</mrn> <name>Ron Capwell</name> <address> <street>5457 Twin Knolls Rd.</street> <city>Columbia</city> <state>MD</state> <zip>21045</zip> </address> <phone> <home>410 555-8888</home> <work>410 666-7777</work> </phone> <date>01/06/1999</date></patient> Administrative DatabaseAdministrative Database
XML Portal Server <customer app=“pharmacy”> <medrec>12345</medrec> <encdate>12/01/1998</encdate> <drug>Lithium</drug></customer> Pharmacy FilesPharmacy Files
XPS Agent: Smart Summaries™
A physician’s patient-care portalA physician’s patient-care portal
Data fromData frommultiplemultiplesourcessources
summarizedsummarized
XML creation though e-forms
InteractiveInteractive(“write”)(“write”)operationoperation
XPS Agent: Personalization
HTMLPage
IIS
XMLDocument
XMLStylesheet
XPS
Stylesheet registrationand rules management Many-to-one relationship
allows repurposing of data
Dynamically associate stylesheet to XML document
XML Portal Server and BPR
• Leverages existing IT infrastructure
• No impact on enterprise information systems
• Browser-as-client achieves true ‘thinness’
• Implementation is operationally focused
• Promotes standardization of taxonomy
• Employs intelligent, interoperable, and open specification… XML
• A powerful process framework Robust, future-proof portal Anticipates the emergence of e-government Advances GPEA objectives Enables XML interoperability Employs SHADE Common Data Exchange Language
• Adds value to information operations Filtering and Aggregation Personalization Performance optimization
• Opens the door to strategic data re-purposing
The XML Portal Server