# Presentation: 379429

## Massachusetts CJIS-XML Architecture: A Service-Oriented Architecture for Delivering CJIS Content as GJXDM-Based XMLPresented By:	- 	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 		(Executive Office of Public Safety and the 		 Criminal History System Board) 	- 	xFact, Inc.Global Justice XML Data Model Users ConferenceJune 9th, 2005   |   Atlanta, Georgia

**Massachusetts CJIS-XML Architecture:** A Service-Oriented Architecture for Delivering CJIS Content as GJXDM-Based XML**Presented By:**	- 	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 		(Executive Office of Public Safety and the 		 Criminal History System Board) 	- 	xFact, Inc.**Global Justice XML Data Model Users Conference****June 9****th****, 2005   |   Atlanta, Georgia**

## Agenda and Introductions

- Objective of this presentation
- Describe how Massachusetts is using an SOA, Web Services, XML and the GJXDM to deliver CJIS content to agencies and users
- Provide details about the architecture and implementation of the Massachusetts “CJIS-XML” project
- Offer “real world” examples of how Massachusetts is leveraging the GJXDM, as well as lessons learned during the implementation and roll-out of the project
- Speaker introductions
- James F Slater III
- CIO, Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety (EOPS)
- Curt Wood
- Deputy Director, Massachusetts Criminal History Systems Board (CHSB)
- Amit Banerji & Greg Phoenix
- xFact, Inc.

## Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety (EOPS) and Criminal History Systems Board (CHSB)

- Commonwealth's joint ICJIS vision:
- Share critical information electronically at key points throughout the justice enterprise – the right information, to the right people, at the right time, and in the right format.
- Key ICJIS business & technical drivers:
- Improve quality, consistency, accessibility, and reliability of information
- Promote more effective decision making
- Streamline business processes to save costs, time, and resources
- Enable the sharing of information “anywhere, at any time”
- Support a diverse, open standards technology environment
- Help compile metrics for evaluating system effectiveness
- Provide flexible designs that can adapt to changing needs
- Continuous progress in business and technology enable new ways to address the ICJIS mission and vision
- Federal and State information sharing initiatives (OJP, GJXDM, Global, etc.)
- Open standards and technologies (Web Services, XML, SOAP, etc.)

## Commonwealth is working to evaluate and further develop an ICJIS vision

Initially created the “Mass. Justice XML” data dictionary, based on GJXDM 2.0

Implemented a pilot SOA to provide “XML-ized” CJIS content to vendors of mobile systems (via Web Services)
CHSB was able to serve as a more flexible provider of pure CJIS content
Vendors were quickly able to provide value-added services using the SOA
Vendors competed on the basis of their value-added service using content from CJIS, and users ultimately received better services

Birth of CJIS-XML
The success of the pilot SOA led to an increased demand to provide more CJIS content via Web Services and XML
EOPS/CHSB developed a formal business and technical strategy to implement the beginnings of a production SOA using XML, GJXDM 3.0, Web Services, and SOAP
The release of GJXDM 3.0 required updates to portions of the “Mass. Justice XML” data dictionary

- Initially created the “Mass. Justice XML” data dictionary, based on GJXDM 2.0
- Implemented a pilot SOA to provide “XML-ized” CJIS content to vendors of mobile systems (via Web Services)
- CHSB was able to serve as a more flexible provider of pure CJIS content
- Vendors were quickly able to provide value-added services using the SOA
- Vendors competed on the basis of their value-added service using content from CJIS, and users ultimately received better services
- Birth of CJIS-XML
- The success of the pilot SOA led to an increased demand to provide more CJIS content via Web Services and XML
- EOPS/CHSB developed a formal business and technical strategy to implement the beginnings of a production SOA using XML, GJXDM 3.0, Web Services, and SOAP
- The release of GJXDM 3.0 required updates to portions of the “Mass. Justice XML” data dictionary

**Massachusetts Movements Towards GJXDM and SOA using Web Services, SOAP, and XML**

## CJIS XML Architecture: Overall Description and Architecture

- CJIS-XML is the implementation of a basic SOA to exchange CJIS data as GJXDM-based XML documents via Web Services
- Key goals of the CJIS-XML architecture
- Simple to use and develop against
- Standardized and open methods for development, implementation, and integration
- Expandable to integrate new functionality (CJIS transactions or data exchanges)
- Conform to GJXDM 3.0
- No Web Services bloat or API complexity
- Synchronous and asynchronous methods of access
- Available to a diverse range of technology platforms (Java, .Net, C++, etc.)
- CJIS-XML architecture today
- Single Web Service acts as the only public interface
- Approximately 35 CJIS transactions are available, along with a handful of agency-to-agency CJIS data exchanges (CHSB, Parole, DOC)
- Individual GJXDM-based schemas for each implemented transaction or exchange
- Standardized method for adding new “modules” (currently written in Java) to accommodate additional CJIS functionality
- Both query and update transactions have the same semantic interface

## CJIS XML Architecture: Core Characteristics

- Centralized Web Service (WS) that manages requests and responses within the SOA
- CJIS-XML WS accepts and returns well-formed XML request and response documents
- The CJIS-XML Service Handler layer interprets requests and passes them to individual processing modules to perform transaction-specific business logic
- New processing modules can be readily integrated into CJIS-XML to leverage the underlying SOAP/XML infrastructure and delivery framework

## CJIS XML Architecture: Input Transaction Processing

- All CJIS-XML transaction requests invoke the CJIS-XML WS
- Transaction names and parameters are embedded in the XML request/response document
- CJIS-XML loads/executes the appropriate processing module for the transaction
- Each type of CJIS transaction has its own processing module

**CJIS-XML Request Process**

## CJIS XML Architecture: Output Transaction Processing

- Each processing module generates a well-formed XML response
- Requestors (web service clients) then retrieve (or receive) responses from the CJIS-XML WS

**CJIS-XML Response Process**

## CJIS XML Architecture: XML Request Transaction Description

- Request transaction has header and body element
- Header contains meta data about the transaction
- Header information is the same for all transactions
- Body contains the data that is exchanged
- Body will be different for each transaction

## CJIS XML Architecture: XML Response Transaction Description

- Response transaction has header and body element
- Header contains meta data about the transaction
- Header information is the same for all transactions
- Body contains the data that is exchanged
- Body is different for each transaction

## Example of the CJIS-XML Request and Response Process (Asynchronous)

- CJIS-XML requests and responses are made using well-formed XML via SOAP over HTTP
- In the asynchronous request/response model:
- The CJIS-XML Web Service receives requests from clients
- CJIS-XML clients must retrieve responses to their own requests
- A complete transaction is made up of multiple steps:
- Query request
- Return message
- Retrieval request
- Query Response

## How MA CJIS XML is Being Used Today

- Integration with Massachusetts CJIS web-based applications
- Web apps readily obtain GJXDM-based CJIS information (via web services) for display in record check, firearms, booking, inmate processing, and motor vehicle applications
- Utilized by “Mobile Data Vendors” who provide vehicle-based and/or PDA CJIS applications to state and local law enforcement agencies
- Agency-to-agency CJIS data exchanges
- MA CHSB and MA Parole exchange Parolee and Victims data
- MA CHSB and MA DOC exchange Offender release data
- Other agencies in development (Courts, Sex Offender Registry Board)

## MA CJIS XML and GJXDM Benefits Observed

- Timely and efficient CJIS information sharing; enhanced public safety
- Information that was “always there” now more effectively available
- Real world results: crimes solved, offenders located, etc.
- Use of open- and standards-based technologies easily accommodated a diverse technology environment and range of agencies/users
- A common set of standards and single point of entry/access helps to maintain CJIS data integrity and controlled access to CJIS data
- OJP GJXDM and “Global” concepts promote standardized inter- and intra-agency data exchanges and a more easily managed effort to share data
- A single, well-specified API and set of XML schemas fostered an easy and rapid development cycle by programmers using the environment
- Open standards and/or API stimulates competition among participating vendors to help the State gain the best value for services and products

## Lessons Learned and Future Plans

- Lessons learned:
- Keep things simple and agile
- Have an active governance structure and change management process in place
- Understand how to effectively navigate the GJXDM and create schema subsets
- Have a mechanism to handle schema and data dictionary updates in a graceful manner
- A widespread understanding of metadata (and how to use it) is still being absorbed by vendors, agencies, and developers using XML
- XML is sometimes advertised as an easy and flexible way to integrate systems, but in real life it seemed a bit more challenging than all the ad’s and bullet points suggest!
- Future plans:
- Completion of an ICJIS Strategic Implementation Plan to guide future efforts
- Potential participation and integration with the XML RAP Sheet, NLETS XML transactions, and the CANDLE project
- Continue to track and evaluate technologies such as RDF, OWL, and Registries

## Question and Answer Session

- Your questions, comments, and feedback are greatly appreciated
- Thank you for attending!

| James F Slater III
MA EOPS
james.slater@state.ma.us | Curt Wood
MA CHSB
curtis.wood@state.ma.us |
| --- | --- |
| Amit Banerji
xFact, Inc.
978.821.3214
amit@xfact.com | Greg Phoenix
xFact, Inc.
617.834.5041
phoenix@xfact.com |