XML Working Group
Meeting Notes
September 22, 2004
This was a joint meeting with the IRS Stakeholders Group hosted by IRS at CSC’s Maryland Technology Center at 7900 Harkins Road, Lanham, Maryland.
Kathleen Morgan briefed the group on IRS XML messaging schema, explaining that IRS is moving toward a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and needs to exchange data with external partners on both a transaction as well as batch processing modes. XML will be used when it is practical to do so. Kathleen mentioned IRS’ Enterprise Logical Data Model (ELDM) and displayed graphical representations of the “taxpayer assets” subject area of the ELDM. She also displayed a sample message format implementation and a couple sample schema. Finally, she displayed sample request and response messages. Her presentation is available at http://xml.gov/presentations/irs5/messagingschema.htm and http://xml.gov/presentations/irs5/messagingschema.ppt
Sol Safran introduced Mark Crawford’s presentation on the Department of the Navy’s (DON) XML Naming and Design Rules (NDR). Mark indicated it contains some similarities and some differences with the IRS schema snippets that Kathleen had displayed. In crafting the NDR, DON looked beyond the Navy, to DoD, GSA, and international coalition partners. The 2002 version of the guide was Federalized and posted on the xml.gov site. [Editor’s note: It is available at http://xml.gov/documents/in_progress/developersguide.pdf.] Version 2 was completed in May 2004 and has been in review since then.
Mark noted that P.L. 104-113, that National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act, encourages agencies to participate in the development and use of voluntary consensus standards, including international standards. [Editor’s note: The text of the Act is available at http://ts.nist.gov/ts/htdocs/210/nttaa/113.htm.] Version 2 of the NDR includes data modeling and aligns with the FEA DRM as well as ISO 11179. Beyond DON, the NDR is being used in Universal Business Language (UBL). UBL core components have been established as an international standard in ISO 15000-5. It provides for the specification of Business Information Entities (BIEs) and provides an implementation layer for ISO 11179.
DON has 23 functional areas with namespace coordinators. They would like to take the next step beyond data modeling to process modeling, with data object definitions and model-driven architecture. Context-neutral objects is a key feature of UBL. Context-specific objects are built from classes by adding attributes. GSA’s best practices document will come out next month and classes will be scheduled. The NDR provides for the transformation of data models into XML. Ken Sall asked about local versus global data elements and types. Mark said normative versions of each are provided, both of which would produce the same instance documents, but that local qualification of elements would need to be sacrificed.
Mark indicated GSA is drafting an RFC to establish “us” as part of the namespace for the U.S. government, e.g., urn.us.gov.dod.don. He referred to the draft namespace policy document on the xml.gov site at http://xml.gov/documents/completed/lmi/GS301L1_namespace.pdf He also said OMB is considering establishment of a governmentwide XML policy. He noted that code lists, also known as enumeration lists, are everywhere and that it is best not to put them directly into each schema. A standard XSD template is being drafted for code lists, to be made available on the Web.
Mark observed that it is too difficult to register XML artifacts in the DoD Registry. He suggested the registry should do all the work, including validation against the NDR. He mentioned the registry requirements compiled by DON and offered to make them available for posting on the xml.gov site. [Editor’s note: They are available at http://xml.gov/presentations/lmi3/DONXMLRegistryRequirements.pdf.] He briefly discussed the XML governance process at DON and he indicated DON has been in communication with the Department of the Treasury and the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program (JFMIP) office with respect to financial elements and schema. He noted that SAP’s Master Data Model and NetWeaver application will be based upon ISO 11179, ISO 15000-5, and the NDR.
Sol asked about lessons learned with respect to DON XML initiatives. Mark responded that support from the top is key, including support for open standards and establishment of vision and policy. He noted that 60 - 70 people have been involved in the DON XML working group. Challenges include the fact that some folks are still tied to DTDs, which remains a stumbling block at DON. Better education and outreach are needed, including proactive contact with contracting and software programming staff. An implementation strategy is also needed to draw in program managers, with milestone reviews and budgetary reviews. DON is also sharing these lessons learned with OMB.
Mark concluded by noting that GSA will be scheduling a 4-day training session on the NDR, with the first day focusing on a high-level overview for business managers. [Editor’s note: The training has been scheduled for October 25 - 28 at LMI’s office in McLean, Virginia.] Ken asked if the rationales for each of the elements of the NDR could be provided, but Mark indicated that would be a tall order since considerable effort would be required and it is largely being done by volunteers. Finally, he noted the first Federal XML vocabulary will be posted in CORE.gov and he expressed the personal view that it will eventually be incorporated into the ebXML registry.
Mark’s presentation is available at http://xml.gov/presentations/lmi3/DONNDR.pdf. He also provided a copy of the DON registry concept of operations (ConOps), which is available at http://xml.gov/presentations/lmi3/DONXMLRegistryConOps.pdf.
Owen Ambur made the following announcements:
● Susan Turnbull of GSA has been named to co-chair the CIOC/AIC’s Emerging Technology Subcommittee (ET S/C), along with John McManus of NASA.
● The xmlWG has been rechartered as the XML Community of Practice (xmlCoP) for a period of two additional years, with a particular focus on helping the ET S/C establish the ET.gov site and process. The revised charter is available at http://xml.gov/documents/completed/charter.htm.
● The next meeting of the xmlCoP will be combined with the Semantic Interoperability CoP (SICoP) at NSF on October 19, and the primary agenda topic will be the FEA Data and Information Reference Model (DRM).
● The xmlCoP and SICoP also plan to meet jointly at the XML 2004 conference on November 17, at which time the ET.gov site/process will be among the agenda items.
● On November 4, Michael Daconta, metadata program manager at DHS, will be joining Owen in addressing the topic of XML metadata at an educational seminar sponsored by the National Capital Capter of AIIM (NCC-AIIM).
● On December 15, Novell may host the xmlCoP meeting for the purpose of demonstrating the Sino ebXML registry.
Among those in physical attendance who registered their presence were:
Owen Ambur, Co-Chair
James Bolling, IRS
Stephen Burns, IRS
Josiah Cushing, Booz Allen
Mark Crawford, LMI
Donald Evans, Treasury
Azad Faruque, Department of State
Bob Green, Navy
Amin Hassam, i411
Fred Lehnhoff, Treasury/FMS
David Levine, IRS
Thelma McConkey, IRS
Kathleen Morgan, CSC/IRS
Roy Morgan, NIST
Mike Murray, Treasury
Jodi Narel, LMI
Vicky Niblett, SAIC/NASA
Bert Ortiz, IRS
Thomas Peters, Silosmashers
Doug Peterson, IRS
George Ratte, Treasury
Sol Safran, IRS
Ken Sall, Silosmashers
Edwin Staples, IRS
Cindia Tongsinoon, IRS
John A. Triplett, IRS
Neil Wasserman, Adaptive Service Engineering
Please convey any additions or corrections to Owen_Ambur@ios.doi.gov