Sharing Your Data – An Update on AIRS XML and Helpful Tools

Marianne Galleon – 211 LA County(626) 350-1841 x2122, marianne@211LA.ORG

Teri Perkins – University of Nebraska Public Policy Center402-472-5620, tperkins@nebraska.edu

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Today’s workshop

Data sharing between I&R databases– The big picture– AIRS XML Schema– Vendor role– Tool for automated processing of partner data– Things to think about when sharing data– Examples of on-line databases– Resources– Contact information

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Comprehensive databases that take advantage of the expertise of multiple database “owners” to more efficiently deliver referrals to those who need them

Enable routine sharing of information between I&Rs regardless of the software products they use

Goal and Objective

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Current Practice

In our communities and across our regions and states, there are many organizations keeping information about resources. Organizations maintain information to serve their clients:– Geographic– Age group– Type of service

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The Conundrum

I&Rs have specific expertise

But, clients may have needs beyond precise information that any one I&R can reasonably maintain…

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Duplication of effort?

Many I&Rs collecting information from many agencies

Many agencies providing information to many I&Rs

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Recognizes expertise Reduces duplication Joint promotion More responsive referrals

Groups of I&Rs working together…

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Alliance of Information and Referral Systems Accreditation…

I&R services within the system shall endeavor to participate in local database collaboratives as a means of avoiding duplication of database maintenance activities and achieving broader coverage of different types of community resources. The I&R services within the system shall: Appropriately divide information gathering tasks and oversee the regular and systematic exchange of resource database information; and Maintain comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date information on the community resources for which they have maintenance responsibility. (p. 18)

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Exchanging InformationBetween Databases That Use

Different Software

Need a standard way to express data– XML allows users to create their own tagging

names and definitions (eXtensible Markup Language)

– AIRS volunteers developed and refined the AIRS XSD (XML Schema Definition) over the past three years

The AIRS XSD describes the structure and content of the data in an XML document

– AIRS Board approved the AIRS XML Schema

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AIRS XML Schema

Three levels of data

Agency

Site

Services

Site Site

Services Services Services Services Services Services Services Services Services

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AIRS Commitment

Standing Subcommittee of AIRS Technology Committee– Annual updates to the AIRS XSD (XML Schema)– Working on a “Style Guide”

Continuing to look at additional ways to promote interoperability through certifications and standards

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AIRS XSD

Data Sharing

ComprehensiveDatabase

CompliantXML export

of I&R B’s data

CompliantXML export

of I&R A’s data

I&R A’sVendor utility

program

I&R B’sVendor utility

program

Database – I&R B

Database – I&R A

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Vendor Role in Data Sharing

Vendors develop utilities for their software that allow mapping of customer data to an XML file that is compliant with the AIRS XSD– Eliminates manual conversion of the data into an

XML file by comprehensive database administrator

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Valid XML File – What Next?

Compliant XML files from databases using different software may be combined into a common database by either:

– Manually processing files– Using an automated processing system

One such tool for automated processing is in development– U.S. Department of Commerce Technology Opportunities Program

grant (#31-60-I03013) to develop a technological tool that will prepare data and create a new consolidated data set

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center / University of Nebraska Department of Computer Science & Engineering

Other tools may use different approaches to process XML files

Database Transformation – Manual Process

Database from DB owner Database tables

Reformat to ACCESS DB

XML fileVerify if the XML file is compliant

with XSD

Compare taxonomy tables

Read the file and insert records into the database on laptop; update tables

Typical

errors

Transform to XML file

• No mailing address or incomplete address (must have a zip code)• Wrong format of email, web-link, phone, etc.

(1) Check user login(2) Upload XML file(3) Validate XML file(4) Check addresses for validity

Create a file

Test DB on laptop

Upload approved DB to server

Feedback to DB owner for corrections

Check for record duplication and send feedback to DB owner; update invalid (i.e., missing information) records in comprehensive database

Communicate with DB

owners regarding duplicated

records

Updated DB on the server

Tool will implement these steps

Vendor implementsthese steps with

utility

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Processing System Tool - Features

Database Partners:– Login and view previously uploaded data– Login and upload an AIRS XSD compliant XML

data export

Comprehensive Database Administrator:– Run specialized data processing routines– Browse partner uploaded data– Promote data to live web applications

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Automated Tool - Partner Advantages

Database Partners:– Receive immediate feedback regarding

compliance of the structure of the data export with the AIRS XSD

– Manage their own content delivery schedules– Access audit trails of previous content deliveries

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Automated Tool –Administrator Advantages

Comprehensive Database Administrator:– Notified of content delivery only after successful

validation of content– Single point of access to work with data sets for

testing and management– Accurate data when content deliverables are

promoted to live websites

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Custom Processing

In addition to basic validation against a schema, the system allows extended processing to be plugged in, such as:

– De-duplication of records from multiple providers– Reclassification of taxonomy codes based on partner

recognized (customized) taxonomies

All processing is automated Flexible – allows manual adjustment of data before

promotion to the website

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Data Owner Work Flow

• After validation, all processing is done automatically - no user input is required

• Audit trails are generated

• Any automated processing can be manually adjusted after the database is updated

Automated Processing

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What will the web interface look like?

Login screen Welcome screen Upload file screen Browse files Successfully uploaded the file Successfully parsed the file

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Benefits of Processing System

Decrease the amount of interaction between comprehensive database administrator and database partners currently required to update website data sets

Provide greater control over partner database and comprehensive database content management processes

Web infrastructure facilitates management and sharing of I&R data

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Some general things to think about when sharing data…

Partners– Confidence in partner’s database– Skill in coding with the AIRS Taxonomy– Frequency with which partner data is checked and updated

AIRS Taxonomy– Levels to observe (customization)– Updating customized taxonomy– All partners must use the same version of the Taxonomy

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Things to think about (continued)…

Geographical Area Served– Search on this?– Required by XSD, but not defined

Define as County, City, Zip Code, other?

Differences in terminology used by partners– e.g., Program = Site = Provider

Urban / rural partners may have different interests– Level of indexing– Distance to travel for services

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Things to think about (continued)…

Resources needed to maintain a comprehensive database

– Time– Money– Technical expertise

AIRS XSD version Compliant XML file doesn’t guarantee you will have

the data you want for your database– Required / optional fields in the AIRS XSD– Work with software vendor regarding data to be included in

the XML file

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Things to think about when sharing data with

partners using different software…

– Different vendors may have different XML coding styles Number of levels of agencies Use of virtual agencies

– Terms added to the XML by vendor may be coded in proprietary format

– Unique / non-unique keys Unique key requirement not necessarily consistent among vendors

– Information may be coded at different locations within a field More than one way to use XML to code information

– All partners may not send information with same detail e.g., coding of target groups/modalities e.g., coding all Age, Gender, and Family exclusions vs. coding them

as Eligibility under Service

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Things to think about even if sharing data with

partners using the same software…

– Different taxonomy versions – Different XSD versions– Vendor may allow custom fields to be created by software user

Information in new fields not transferred to another user

– Differences in data standards e.g., names in upper case vs. mixed case

– Data stored in different locations e.g., Hours information may be stored at Site or Service level

– What needs to be identical to allow data sharing? e.g., county codes may not be identical between users of same

software

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Comprehensive Databases

Examples of 2-1-1 on-line databases– Los Angeles County

http://www.healthycity.org/index.php?c=fs

– Nebraska www.ne211.org

– Texas www.211texas.org/211/index.jsp

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Resources

AIRS XML Schema Definition (XSD)– http://www.airs.org/news/news_news.asp– Current XML Schema is at http://www.ne211.nebraska.edu/vendorinformation.htm, take

the “Current XSD” link Interoperability and Information and Referral

– Galleon, Marianne. (2006, January). AIRS working on way for I&Rs to share information. Alliance of Information and Referral Systems News, Volume XXVI No. 1, 1.

– Shank, N. (2004). Database interoperability: Technology and process for sharing resource information. Information & Referral, 26, 45-54.

AIRS/INFO LINE Taxonomy of Human Services– On-line version of taxonomy at http://www.211taxonomy.org/ – Bruni, M.G. (2000). Indexing with the AIRS/INFO LINE Taxonomy of Human Services.

Information and Referral, 22, 83-109.– Sales, G. (2003). An orientation to the structure and contents of the AIRS/INFO LINE

Taxonomy. Information and Referral, 26, 1-26. XML

– XML - A good resource about XML is the XML Schema Primer at www.w3c.org/TR/xmlschema-0/

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Contact Information

Marianne Galleon – 211 LA County– (626) 350-1841 x2122, marianne@211LA.ORG

Teri Perkins – University of Nebraska Public Policy Center

– 402-472-5620, tperkins@nebraska.edu