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Eric Okin Assistant Deputy Director Policy and Architecture; DFAS - DTB

Leveraging XML. Eric Okin Assistant Deputy Director Policy and Architecture; DFAS - DTB. Mike Lubash XML Team Leader DoD Finance and Accounting Namespace Manager. Objective of the Presentation. Setting the Tone... Why XML? Atomic; Identifiable Content & Actions

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Eric Okin Assistant Deputy Director Policy and Architecture; DFAS - DTB

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  1. Leveraging XML Eric Okin Assistant Deputy Director Policy and Architecture; DFAS - DTB Mike Lubash XML Team Leader DoD Finance and Accounting Namespace Manager

  2. Objective of the Presentation... • Setting the Tone... • Why XML? • Atomic; Identifiable Content & Actions • Structural; Transactions & Processes • Contextual; Context Defined Business Constraints • Impact on Our Organization How are we going to approach the topic?

  3. “Change favors the prepared mind.” Louis Pasteur Why should I learn how to be positioned to leverage XML for eBusiness?

  4. Setting the Tone: Why Has Interoperability Been Elusive? • Proprietary – we have been shackled • – data, metadata, applications, database, operating systems, and user interface • Strategy based on “one size fits all” • – DCII – focus on homogenous (type III) systems • – standards without good mechanisms for allowing for context • Absence common services and exchange • – example: ANSI X12 Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) restrictive scope, “door-to-door”, difficult to repurpose, not real-time, not for web, long turn-around to add to standard, messages are extensible; thus a decline in usage Why has it taken 20 years for the right solution?

  5. Setting the Tone: Business-driven Information Architecture • Agility– to meet customer’s evolving needs • Interoperability– ease of integration enabled by open technology • Reusability– data in usable form and repurposable • Understandability– declarative semantics of the business • Quality– exact exchange of information What architectural qualities are required to address the challenge?

  6. Setting the Tone: Electricity Analogy Explaining XML technology today is much like explaining electricity during the era of gaslights… “Why do I need electricity, my gaslights work fine?” Computers Light bulb Electrons Joseph Priestley's Laboratory, c. 1775 How does one explain the benefits of business-driven information architecture?

  7. Setting the Tone: XML Provides Key Basic Benefits • Agility– pervasive, easy to learn, large labor pool, business defines message semantics • Interoperability– simple open portable format: <ItemNo>41358</ItemNo> • Reusability– open transformations XSL, on the web in real-time • Understandability– extensible tags defined by users and developers, searching • Quality– open mechanism for defining and validating exchanged data - schemas Why XML?

  8. Setting the Tone: Achieving Advanced Business Constructs • Behavior integration { } • Context Everywhere Enterprise Agility #3 Business Process • Reusable knowledge bases Hard • Full-compliant Architecture (e.g., JTA, GIG, DCII, FFMIA) Domain Knowledge DCII • DFAS Registry #2 Infrastructure Difficult Enterprise Information • Enterprise Information Services Services XML Technology #1 Heterogeneous Interoperability • Improve the delivery, timeliness, and accuracy of Finance and Accounting services in key areas Easy • Define and start implementing compliant architecture • Start enterprise management of information and knowledge assets What are the foundation components which to build success?

  9. Setting the Tone:Enterprise XML Implementation Strategy • Agility– declarative approach; identify impact of change and provide gap analysis • Interoperability– Enterprise Information Services Layer - EISL • Reusability– common services, common information artifacts (reusable components) • Understandability– discovery via collaborative ontology (registry-centric) • Quality– concept-based transformations with explicit logical context-root derivations What mechanisms do we need to move to an enterprise strategy?

  10. Setting the Tone: XML alone is not enough… …to provide us a complete eBusiness solution • XML, by itself, does not solve interoperability problems, yet it is an important tool for doing so • XML does not provide instant semantics, yet its tagging structure assists with parsing the data • XML does not eliminate mapping and the “No single standard can be imposed” rule still applies, yet with a framework built around open declarative processes the amount of integration resources required are reduced • XML by itself is not the magic bullet – • but a business-driven information architecture gives us a chance What XML is Not?

  11. Setting the Tone: XML is Here To Stay… • There will be no more new versions of HTML • W3C states XML with HTML-type tagging; XHTML is the future • Very few, if any, new EDI Transaction Sets will be added to X12/EDIFACT • Since introduction of the idea of exchanging business documents by the XML/edi Group in 1997, an unprecedented number of exchange definitions and uses have been developed and a plethora of tools have appeared on the market. • "The market for Web Services tools, comprised of Web Services Platforms, Application Development and Delivery Suites, and Operations Management is expected to grow to over $15.5 Billion by the end of 2005." • ZapThink Research Is XML another flying by technology?

  12. The Lowest LevelAtomic; Identifiable Content & Actions What is unique with XML and what do I gain by tagging my information?

  13. Why XML?Atomic Features of XML Technology 1. Lowers the Bar 2. Independence 3.Universal Clipboard 4. Granularity 5. eXtensible 6. Semantic References 7. Context Views What are the characteristics of native XML which makes it an enabler?

  14. Why XML?Atomic Features of XML Technology 1. Lowers the Bar 2. Independence 3.Universal Clipboard 4. Granularity 5. eXtensible 6. Semantic References 7. Context Views easy to read for business users and technologist alike – providing a common ground for communicating information. Available labor pool is large due to the fact that XML parallels HTML education and XML doesn’t require large amounts of specific training to leverage. How easy is it to work with and assimilate into my organization?

  15. Business Operational View Domain aspects of business transactions 1. Lowers the Bar – alternative to “over the fence” Improving communication between business domain experts (‘what’) and technologist (‘how’) to maximize new exciting opportunities. Technology Service View IT aspects of business transactions Does XML help in communications between business and technical staff?

  16. 1. Lowers the Bar – Easy To Read <ItemNo>41358</ItemNo> What does example XML look like?

  17. 1. Lowers the Bar – Easy To Read (con’t) Back ARMY 1010D34,507,584,4721110D436,9881120D12,112,353 1130D01190D145,618,8071195D01200D57,747,632 1310D688,542,5921310D357,282,8391319C0 1319C-41,291,4191320D01320D01330D0 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?> - <SGLAccounts> <ReportingDept>Dept. of the Army</ReportingDept> <Account Number="1010" NBI="D">34507584472</Account> <Account Number="1110" NBI="D">436988</Account> <Account Number="1120" NBI="D">12112353</Account> <Account Number="1130" NBI="D">0</Account> <Account Number="1190" NBI="D">145618807</Account> <Account Number="1195" NBI="D">0</Account> <Account Number="1200" NBI="D">57747632</Account> <Account Number="1310" NBI="D">688542592</Account> . . If XML… If Flat File... If EDI... What is easier to understand and search?

  18. 1. Lowers the Bar – Example <?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?> <Email> </Email> So what does an XML document or report structure look like?

  19. 1. Lowers the Bar – Example <?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?> <Email> <Head></Head> <Body></Body> <Attachments></Attachments> </Email> So the structure is hierarchical?

  20. 1. Lowers the Bar – Example <?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?> <Email> <Head> <Date></Date> <From></From> <To></To> <CC></CC> <BCC></BCC> <Subject></Subject> </Head> <Body></Body> <Attachments></Attachments> </Email> So can I group information anyway my business needs it?

  21. 1. Lowers the Bar – Example <?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?> <Email> <Head> <Date>02/05/02</Date> <From>Bruce.Johnson@dfas.mil</From> <To>AttendeesList</To> <CC>Mike.Lubash@dfas.mil</CC> <BCC>Bruce.Johnson@aol.com</BCC> <Subject>Thank You</Subject> </Head> <Body>Thank you for making our meeting a great success!</Body> <Attachments>d:\notes.txt</Attachments> </Email> So what does the XML document or report look like with information?

  22. 1. Lowers the Bar – Skills Across Organization • Our available labor pool for tasking is increased, as base technology is common between capabilities • Skills learned can be applied to many different areas. Reduction in education requirements specific to tasking, Labor Pool Other impacts are discussed later in the presentation… What impact does “Easy to Read” have on my organization?

  23. 1. Lowers the Bar – Invoice Example EDI - 30% XML- 50% ? Web - 20% How do we lower the bar to reach to automate additional trading partners?

  24. Why XML?Atomic Features of XML Technology 1. Lowers the Bar 2. Independence 3.Universal Clipboard 4. Granularity 5. eXtensible 6. Semantic References 7. Context Views from Operating Systems, Applications, Databases, Software Language, Presentation, etc. XSL stylesheets describe how to render data on different devices (monitors, printers, palm pilots, WebTV, voice and agent interactions). What impact does XML have to do with my infrastructure?

  25. 2. Independence Oh, Freedom! DFAS’ information is now free from Operating Systems, Applications, Databases, Software Language, Presentation, etc. How does XML remove the proprietary shackles from important?

  26. 2. Independence – Triad platform Internet / HTTP HTML XML presentation data XML Makes Information Portable What happened in the past with HTML/HTTP when shackles were removed?

  27. 3. Independence- Allows Reuse <WAP / WML> XML/edi <SOAP> So XML is like having a “cut and paste” capability for automation?

  28. Why XML?Atomic Features of XML Technology 1. Lowers the Bar 2. Independence 3.Universal Clipboard 4. Granularity 5. eXtensible 6. Semantic References 7. Context Views implemented as hierarchical nodal trees XML can accommodate entity-relationships, freeform, and network data representations. Any application can validate information prior to internal processing. With XML, all nodes can use the same methods for simplifying and automating processes. End-tagging and consistent syntax enables enhance detection of incomplete information packages. What types of information does XML support?

  29. 3. Universal Clipboard – Tables + More! • XML support information housed in databases, and other organization’s stores, etc. • Allows for flexible structures • Faster – no time consuming RDBMS table joins • Fastest – able to be memory-based • No installation required, eases deployment • Low or No cost to deploy • Remember: non-proprietary, vendor neutral Plus more! How does XML complement my RDBMS?

  30. 3. Universal Clipboard – Common Access Common nodal access/viewpoint allows for common parsing mechanisms – So even though content of XML can be any information, access is kept to a very simple document model. Structure Integrity at two levels: [1] Well-formed and [2] Validated via schema How easy is it to use and manipulate XML?

  31. 3. Universal Clipboard – Persistence Use Cases Tactical • Workflow • Transactional; at application server • XML usage increase: • Typically legacy DB • RDBMS in the past Operational • Knowledge rich structures • Information mining • Complex searching Warehouse • Metadata • Constraints • Crosswalk relations • Varied info structure Registry • Application persistence • Complex searching • Packaging / serialization Configuration • Personalization • Role-based security • BizID exchange Profile Queue • Message middleware • End-to-end statusing • Loose-coupling architectures What are the use for storing my information in XML?

  32. Why XML?Atomic Features of XML Technology 1. Lowers the Bar 2. Independence 3.Universal Clipboard 4. Granularity 5. eXtensible 6. Semantic References 7. Context Views XML tagging provides high-resolution access to data enabling context-based searching and delta updates. Contextual information improve the ability to retrieve relevant information from total pool of information. What are the limits of XML structure to describe my business?

  33. 4. Granularity - Indenture Levels EDI XML Very Rich: Unlimited Number of Levels Restricted: 3-4 levels only* * Can be extended via complex Hierarchical Looping (HL) mechanism How does XML compare to EDI for model resolution?

  34. 4. Granularity - Indenture Levels Able to filter, query, extract, and manipulate information anywhere… XML … without having to ‘map’ transaction to RDMS fields. How does XML compare to EDI for model resolution?

  35. Why XML?Atomic Features of XML Technology 1. Lowers the Bar 2. Independence 3.Universal Clipboard 4. Granularity 5. eXtensible 6. Semantic References 7. Context Views domain-specific vocabularies, that enable tag names to be specific business needs of a community (e.g., finance and accounting, human resources). Need not be limited to “standard” transactions, and many initiatives which to choose. Sounds like standard tags to me, how is XML specific to my needs?

  36. 5. eXtensible – Have It My Way • XML is a meta-language – XML standard doesn’t define the tagnames. XML allows for the organization to define its own set of tags based on its business need. • How does this differ from other standards in the past, e.g. EDI? EDI standards define the tagnames and transaction structures based on committee… …if this worked then why are only 10% or less of the exchange types in the organization standard? XML is a meta-language, What is a meta-language?

  37. Why XML?Atomic Features of XML Technology 1. Lowers the Bar 2. Independence 3.Universal Clipboard 4. Granularity 5. eXtensible 6. Semantic References 7. Context Views minimal prior knowledge of sender application is necessaryto process information. Not positional or delimiter defined, thus allowing flexible packaging based on business needs. How does XML assist in understanding the message – my semantics?

  38. 6. Semantic References – Machine Interchange Fixed Width - Version 1 1010D34,507,584,4721110D436,9881120D12,112,353 1130D01190D145,618,8071195D01200D57,747,632324545 4721110D436,9881 0D357,282,8391319C0319C-41,291,4191320D01320D013300 4721110D436,9881120D12,112 Delimited - * - Version 2 1010D34*507,58* *4,4721*110D436*9881120*D12*112,353*1130D01190D1*45,618,80711*95*D0*1200*3233 D*57,747,632*324545* 4721110*D*436,988*1 0**D*357,282,839*1319C0319*C*-1,291,419*1320*D0*1320D0 If the sender adds one other field the receiving program needs to be modified or the interchange breaks What is wrong on how we are doing it today?

  39. 6. Semantic References – Version 3; Segmented EDI X12 New data elements don’t break the exchange To interpret the fields the EDI parser needs to reference the EDI standards to field the data STD What about EDI?

  40. 6. Semantic References – v.4 Smart Delimiters XML <Date>02/05/02</Date> <From>Bruce.Johnson@dfas.mil</From> <To>AttendeesList</To> <CC>Mike.Lubash@dfas.mil</CC> <BCC>Bruce.Johnson@aol.com</BCC> <Subject>Thank You</Subject> The XML parser will not break if a field is added to the exchange and knows immediately context of the information -more later Is there a transaction expression format that gives us integrity?

  41. 6. Semantic References – EDI Comparison Control # = Do…A 101010101 EDI X12 ST*810*101010101~ Read Processing Do…B Do…C X12 STD Transaction Lookup Declarative Processing <From> <To> <Subject> XML Do…A <Date>02/05/02</Date> <From>Bruce.Johnson@dfas.mil</From> <To>AttendeesList</To> <CC>Mike.Lubash@dfas.mil</CC> <BCC>Bruce.Johnson@aol.com</BCC> <Subject>Thank You</Subject> Do…B Do…C EDI the semantics is positional based on delimiters, how is XML different?

  42. 6. Semantic References Declarative Processing <From> <To> <Subject> XML Do…A <Date>02/05/02</Date> <From>Bruce.Johnson@dfas.mil</From> <To>AttendeesList</To> <CC>Mike.Lubash@dfas.mil</CC> <BCC>Bruce.Johnson@aol.com</BCC> <Subject>Thank You</Subject> Do…B Do…C But this is only half the story, more later on interpreting message semantics Isn’t semantics based on greater context than the tagname?

  43. Why XML?Atomic Features of XML Technology 1. Lowers the Bar 2. Independence 3.Universal Clipboard 4. Granularity 5. eXtensible 6. Semantic References 7. Context Views any application can extract and separate information it needs to satisfy business functions from other facilitation types of information (e.g., routing, security, archiving). Users (or applications) can on-demand select data views(e.g., one record or all, sort by different attributes, various details) based on business needs/rules. So the tags provide semantics, how does this help in my processing?

  44. 7. Context Views – Multiple levels of Resolution… … give multiple views of the information. Low Resolution High Resolution e.g. External Organization Viewpoint External Organization Viewpoint + XML provides multiple views (high and low resolutions) which allow for additional constraints for processing; where as RDBMS tables, no views are not included in the structure. With RDBMS tables, the relationships give a hint as to the possible views Internal Organization Viewpoint Can XML provide view constraints for processing?

  45. 7. Context Views – User’s Choice Response delays accessing database, and table joins may not be offer scalable solution Users can choose to slice n’ dice the information on their browser without constantly returning to backend servers for more data. Web Server Relational Database Slow X Web Browser XML Store Fast Design Option: rendering at server or client Content Server How can XML speed processing for my customer’s web experience?

  46. The Intermediate Level Structural; Transaction & Processes What do I gain if I add structure and processes around my XML?

  47. Why XML?Structural & Processing Features of XML Technology 8. Schema 9. Stylesheets 10. Processing 11. Web Services 12. Workflow How does XML assist in understanding the message – my semantics?

  48. Why XML?Structural & Processing Features of XML Technology 8. Schema 9. Stylesheets 10. Processing 11. Web Services 12. Workflow Mechanism for expressing technical aspects of XML Instances, e.g. structure How does XML assist in understanding the message?

  49. 8. Schema – Metadata & Instance <xs:element name="Head"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence> <xs:element name="Date" type="xs:string"/> <xs:element name="From" type="xs:string"/> <xs:element name="To" type="xs:string"/> <xs:element name="CC" type="xs:string"/> <xs:element name="BCC" type="xs:string"/> <xs:element name="Subject" type="xs:string"/> </xs:sequence> </xs:complexType> </xs:element> SCHEMA Open format to indicate the meaning of the fields, data types, optionally and structure <Date>02/05/02</Date> <From>Bruce.Johnson@dfas.mil</From> <To>AttendeesList</To> <CC>Mike.Lubash@dfas.mil</CC> <BCC>Bruce.Johnson@aol.com</BCC> <Subject>Thank You</Subject> INSTANCE Must adhere to the business rules defined in the Schema Is XML Schema open like XML?

  50. 8. Schema: Treasury Reporting Example XML Valid Early Validation & Error Detection Treasury DFAS Including Notes Valid XML Schema Shared Rules Other Agencies Defines message implementation in format for automation XML Valid How do we reduce errors and exchange data and document type information?

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