# Presentation: 186718

## XML in Government

**Dr. Glenda Hayes**
- The MITRE Corporation
- 19 Oct 2000
- ghayes@mitre.org

## Agenda

- XML-related Activities
- _Use_ of XML, Coordination on Semantics
- _Forums_ for Surfacing Issues and Opportunities
- _Policy_ Regarding Use
- Organizations
- Department of Defense
- Department of Treasury
- Federal CIO Council

**Notes:**
The XML-related Activities can be categorized as forums, policy, coordination, use.

I’ll focus my presentation on those organizations within the Federal Government where I’ve had some direct experience.  And I’ll organize the discussion of each of those organizations by using the 3 categories.

## Department of Defense

- XML Use, Coordination on Semantics
- Forums
- DII-COE* XML Forum
- XML Namespace Managers Forum
- Policy
- DII-COE Configuration and Control Board (CRCB)
- DoD CIO Executive Board tasking to DISA*

- DII-COE = Defense Information Infrastructure Common Operating Environment
- DISA = Defense Information Systems Agency

**Notes:**

COE CRCB - Flag-level control of COE

## DII-COE Data Engineering View of XML:Common Data Exchange Language

- DII-COE Data Engineering View of XML:Common Data Exchange Language

- Data packaged with interpretation rules
- tailored tags and document structure
- community of interest (namespace) agreement on tags & structure
- DBMS not required to examine schema or retrieve data
- unicode text  machine & man readable
- more effective information discovery and retrieval
- 21st Century industry data interchange standard
- Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, Sun, Sybase, Informix...
- Messages (USMTF & Electronic Commerce /EDI)

- <MSG:SUBJECT_TYPE>**SUB**</MSG:SUBJECT_TYPE>

**Notes:**
SHADE’s interest in XML is largely determined by the tremendous amount of industry commitment to XML.  

For the first time ever, we have an internet standard way of transmitting data with its interpretation that is platform independent, programming language neutral, both machine and man readable, AND is emerging as an industry standard!!
Previous speakers have explained the syntax of the technology, but to overly simplify: there is data encapsulated by a begin tag and an end tag.  The nesting of tags within other tags can convey composition, such as in this example: A tactical report has a message identification, which has an identifier and an originator.

## A2A(Anything-to-Anything)

- XSL

- DOM

- A2A(Anything-to-Anything)

- Application
- Database
- CGM
- other
- File
- Flat
- CSV
- XML
- other

- Application
- Database
- CGM
- other
- File
- Flat
- CSV
- XML
- other

- XML

- XML

- SAX

- SQL-J

- WAP

## DoD Use of XMLpage 1

- DII-COE XML Registry - Provide Market Visibility for XML components - http://diides.ncr.disa.mil/xmlreg
- XML for submissions to Registry, XML retrieved from Registry
- Domain Values (XML) Document rendered (via XSL) to HTML
- Situational Awareness
- Common Operational Picture (COP) Extensible DB Interface (XDBI)
- XML returned from COP for Database Synchronization
- Bosnia
- XML Retrieved from relational DB as snapshot w/image
- XML docs queried and rendered (via XSL) to HTML for browser
- MIL-STD 6040 Message Format
- XML enable Message Transmission Format (MTF)

**Notes:**
POCs
Registry – Dr. Glenda Hayes (MITRE) ghayes@mitre.org
XDBI – Mr. Jesse Pirocchi (MITRE) pirocchi@mitre.org
Bosnia – TRW and MITRE (Michael Los) mel@mitre.org {using Oracle}
USMTF – DISA and MITRE-Langley (Mike Cokus) msc@mitre.org

Caption: 970225-F-2095R-028  25 Feb 97  Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Site aerials of locations were attacks on SFOR troops have taken place and sites of clashes between Muslim and Croats.  Spanish Square bottom left to the Rondo (round-about) bottom right and the Muslim-Croat cemetery top commonly referred to the Triangle.  United States Air Force Combat Camera Imagery by Staff Sergeant Cesar Rodriguez

## DoD Use of XMLpage 2

- Global Combat Support Systems (GCSS)
- XML doc stores query definition data for GCSS Portal & COP-CSE Drill-down Tool
- Joint Battle Center (JBC) - Joint Warfighting Interoperability Demonstration (JWID)
- Exchange of data via XML between COP and Joint Command & Control DB
- Intelligence Production - Analytic Packet
- Business Re-engineering  SGML, migrating to XML
- Defense Finance & Accounting Services (DFAS)
- XML interface between legacy application feed and standard Agency storage DB.
- XBRL representation rendered (via XSL) to browser as Air Force General Fund Statement supporting drill down to detail data

**Notes:**
POCs:
GCSS – Dr. Bob Daniels (MITRE) rdaniels@mitre.org
JBC – Mr. Larry Permenter (MITRE) lawrence@mitre.org
Analytic Packets – Ms. Joan Smith Santoro (MITRE) joa@mitre.org
DFAS – Dr. Anh Ta (MITRE) ata@mitre.org
We are going to use a legacy system feed from STANFINS that will be mapped and converted to DFAS Corporate Database (DDCD) standard data.  Or in other words, we will convert the legacy feed to the DCD DB for storage and retrieval using XML versus hard coded API.  Thus, the bullet may be presented as:  XML interface between legacy application feed and standard Agency storage DB.

## DoD Use of XMLpage 3

- Gunter AFB – Standard Procurement System
- XML transmitted to relational database (structured fields & XML fragments), database manufacture of XML, rendered (via XSL) for apps (e.g., browser and Electronic Posting System)
- Global Command & Control System – Maritime – Process-centric Training Support
- XML docs to store training material
- Army Topologic Engineering Center, NIMA - Open GIS Consortium WMT
- http://www.opengis.org
- XML to query geospatially-referenced data, XML returned from data source
- Geography Markup Language (GML)
- Imagery Markup Language (IML)

**Notes:**
POCs:
Standard Procurement System – Kim Crider (MITRE) kcrider@mitre.org {using Sybase}
Process-centric Training Support – Ms. Jaci Knudson (knudsonj@spawar.navy.mil)
Army Topologic Engineering Center – Mr. Dan Specht (Daniel.L.Specht@tec02.usace.army.mil)
NIMA – Mr. Chuck Heazel (MITRE) cmheazel@mitre.org

## DoD Use of XMLpage 4

- Intelink Management Office
- Security.DTD
- USSPACECOM
- Space Surveillance Ontology in XML
- Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS)
- Initializing CORBA Domain Manager
- Product Data Markup Language (PDML)
- Lightweight client for exchange of STEP/EXPRESS data
- DARPA ILLUME Project - Ontology Markup Language
- XML exported from Enterprise Java Beans to servlets
- DARPA Agent Markup Language (DAML)

**Notes:**
POCs
Intelink – Mr. Chris Wheedleton (SAIC) wheedletonc@saic.com
USSPACECOM – Ms. Mary Pulvermacher (MITRE) pulver@mitre.org
JTRS – Mr. Mike McClimens (MITRE) mikemc@mitre.org
PDML – PDIT.com

## XML Addresses MultipleData Dimensions

- structured

- data

- metadata

- unstructured

- RDF
- PDML
- XMI CWMI
- Registry.dtd
- Registry_domain_values.dtd

- Degree of _Content_ Structure

- DBMS
- XMLMTF
- EC/EDI

**Notes:**
This taxonomy categorizes several dimensions for XML:
Degree of content structure
Type of data (metadata or data)
Color coding is used to highlight DoD products

## DII-COE XML Forum

- Sponsor (DII-COE DATATWG)
- Defense Information Infrastructure (DII)
- Common Operating Environment (COE),
- Data Access Services Technical Working Group (DATATWG),
- Semi-Structured Data and Metadata Subpanel (SSD-MD)
- Objectives
- Develop specifications and/or DTDs
- Select metadata standards and tools
- Create DTD repository / distribution mechanism / versioning management
- Provide guidance for tag terminology
- Develop “enhanced” XML editors for coded XML docs
- Develop application interpreters for XML
- Reference implementations

## DII-COE XML Forum

- Meetings
- Chartered by DII-COE Architectural Oversight Group (AOG): Nov 1998
- Distribution List = 350 Names, Attendance = 70+
- Bi-monthly meetings, 9 meetings
- Topics
- XML Activities Survey
- XML Vendor Briefings and Demos
- DII-COE XML Requirements
- DII-COE XML Registry Debut
- XML Technical Discussions
- XML Policy Coordination

## Proposed: XML Namespace Managers Forum

- Proposed: XML Namespace Managers Forum

- Sponsor
- Common Operating Environment,
- DII-COE Architectural Oversight Group (?)
- Objectives
- Propose, review, and implement DoD XML policy
- Develop and promote best practices in XML
- Seek opportunities for semantic convergence
- Oversee the operation of the Registry
- Determine what metrics to use, analyze and make recommendations as inputs to DoD and other policies
- Define, review, update the procedures for the Namespace Mgrs Forum
- Review proposals for additional namespaces for  recommendations to DII-COE AOG
- Participate, respect, and influence international and coalitions metadata standards

## Proposed: XML Namespace Managers Forum

- Meetings
- Members: Namespace Mgrs
- Begun: Sept 2000, 2 meetings
- Topics
- DoD XML Registry Implementation Plan
- DII-COE Registry Requirements
- Registry Submission Training
- Namespace Mgr Coordination

## Principles which shapeMarket-Driven Data Strategy

- Focus on Common *implementable* Components
- Seek commonality mainly within Communities of Interest (COIs)
- Develop common representations for 20% of data to satisfy 80% requirements
- Create market environment to exploit survival of “fit” data representations in various domains
- PMs and their engineering staffs are primary marketplace players
- Provide visibility for existing implementations thru Data Component registry with low barriers to entry

## DII-COE XML Registry Objectives

- Technical Requirement
- Ensure uniqueness of in-use tags, schemas etc. (like network port assignments)
- Management Objectives
- Visibility
- Identify and converge synonyms within CM process on cost-benefit, prioritization basis
- Encourage Re-use
- Information Interoperability

- <MSG:aircraft_model_and_type>**AV8C**</MSG:aircraft_model_and_type>

*Purpose is uniqueness and visibility, *_*not*_* standardization through mandate!*

**Notes:**
AV-8C HARRIER, char 2-6

## DII-COE XML Registry Status

- IOC 17 May 1999
- Public Access
- Messages (FOUO) – Password protected
- Improved Version
- Available Oct-Nov 00
- 10K elements
- SIPRNET version early in CY01
- Handles
- XML Registration
- Namespace Creation & Mgt
- NATO Coordination
- NC3A XML Workshop
- Request & Receipt of COE Software
- XMLMTF
- Expanding Scope – DoD CIO Exec Council
- XML Registry Implementation Plan

- http://diides.ncr.disa.mil/xmlreg

- DII-COE Data Emporium
- http://diides.ncr.disa.mil/shade

## DII-COE XML Guidance

- XML Tag Registration Requirement
- Configuration Review Control Board (CRCB) directs (via I&RTS 4.0) DII-COE Developers using XML for public interfaces to:
- Consult XML Registry before creating new Tags and reuse existing XML where practical
- Indicate planned use of Registered Tags by formally subscribing to them
- Submit (where required)
- additional XML tags (and amplifying information) or
- recommended modifications to existing tags
- Management of Namespaces
- With CRCB concurrence, DII-COE Chief Engineer:
- Charters selected agents to manage XML Namespaces
- Example: USMTF Program AO to manage XML-MTF tags
- Manages DoD Core Namespace

## DoD “Core” (COE Enterprise)/DISA 
Ground Operations/Army
General Military Intelligence/DIA
Aerospace Operations/USAF
Messages/DISA
Tracks & Reports/Navy
Combat Support/DISA
Geospatial & Imagery/NIMA
METOC/Navy
Personnel/DIMHRS
Finance and Accounting/DFAS

- Ground Operations/Army
- General Military Intelligence/DIA
- Aerospace Operations/USAF
- Messages/DISA
- Tracks & Reports/Navy
- Combat Support/DISA
- Geospatial & Imagery/NIMA
- METOC/Navy
- Personnel/DIMHRS
- Finance and Accounting/DFAS

- DII-COE Namespaces/Managers

_**Other Proposed**_
- Logistics
- MASINT
- NBC
- Info Mgt

**Notes:**
NBC = nuclear, biological, chemical
MASINT = measurement and signatures (intel – thermal, magnetic, acoustic)

## DoD XML Registration Policy Coordination

- CRCB directs Chief Engineer to propose DII-COE XML process for DoD
- Chief Engineer briefs DoD CIO Executive Council 29 Aug
- DoD CIO Executive Council asks for
- Draft registration policy memo
- Resource assessment
- Draft DoD XML Registry Implementation Plan
- Staff through ASD C3I, USD AT&L, etc.
- Brief to CIO Executive Council for decision mid-Nov

##  DoD XML Registry Implementation Plan

- Implementation Plan features:
-  implementable in the near term
-  minimal unprogrammed resources
-  extends existing DII-COE processes
-  endorses DII-COE guidance
-  uses DII-COE XML Registry
-  capitalizes on existing DII-COE groups and boards
-  adds CIO Executive Council oversight linked to CRCB
-  engages Standards at multiple levels

## Department of Treasury

- Simplified Tax and Wage Reporting System (STAWRS)
- http://www.tax.gov/news.htm
- Harmonized Wage Code (HWC) Request for Agreement
- Federation of Tax Administrators
- http://www.taxadmin.org
- Tax Information Group for EC Requirements Standardization (TIGER)
- XML Business Reporting Language (XBRL)
- http://www.xfrml.org/
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)

**Notes:**
STAWRS – “The Internal Revenue Service is soliciting proposals from vendors interested in partnering with STAWRS in continuing to maintain the HWC Database. The HWC Database is an analysis of 96 federal and state  employment tax laws. With the HWC Database, a user is able to analyze how any given component in one employment tax law compares to a related component in another law, by showing whether the components are identical, similar, or different.” 

FTA – State Revenue Agencies POC: Terry Garber, North Carolina
California, Louisiana are looking at XML
Microsoft briefed a draft TaXML at June TIGER Meeting

XBRL

## Federal CIO Councilhttp://www.cio.gov/

- Federal CIO XML Working Group
- _[http://www.cio.gov/docs/XML_memo_to_CIOs_9-00.htm](http://www.cio.gov/docs/XML_memo_to_CIOs_9-00.htm)_
- Co-chairs
- Owen Ambur of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Owen_Ambur@fws.gov)
- Marion Royal of GSA's Office of Governmentwide Policy (marion.royal@gsa.gov)
- Meetings Monthly (beginning June 2000)
- Listserv
- listserv@www.gsa.gov with "subscribe xmlwg firstname lastname" in the body of the message.
- Listserv Archive
- http://www.gsa.gov/archives/xmlwg.html

## Mission StatementFederal CIO XML Working Group

- Identify pertinent standards and best practices
- Establish partnerships with industry and public interest groups
- Establish partnerships with governmental communities of interest
- Education and outreach

## Business Case for XML

- Lightweight Exchange – Poor Man’s EDI
- Network Protocol Independent
- Better Leveraging of Training
- XML is Pervasive
- Minimal Resources Required
- Independent of Programming Environment
- Phenomenal Industry Support
- Leverage Existing Metadata
- Common Syntax Attracting:
- File formats
- Ontologies
- Metadata
- Better Suited for Hierarchical Data Than Relational Representation
- Stateless Nature Fits Web Paradigm
- Implementations Can Be Done Incrementally

- XML = Low Risk