XML Training applied to Product data exchange and sharing

1
XML Trainingapplied to Product data exchange
and sharing
Toulouse , 10/12/2002 Nicolas FIGAY - EADS
CCR Thierry CORDIER - ASTRIUM
2
Ordre du jour

• 10 h 00 XML, what is it?
• 1 hour - Nicolas FIGAY
• 11 h 00 XML standards classification
• 1 hour - Nicolas FIGAY
• 12 h 00 Lunch
• 13 h 00 XML, Schemas and XMI
• 1 hour - Nicolas FIGAY/ Thierry CORDIER
• 14 h 00 XML and STEP application protocols
• 1 hour Nicolas FIGAY/Thierry CORDIER
• 15 h 00 XML based distribution1 hour - Nicolas
  FIGAY/ Thierry CORDIER
• 16 h 00 Conclusions
• 17h 00 End

3
XML, what it is?

• Presentation Nicolas FIGAY
• Animation Thierry CORDIER
• Attendees
• Subject Initiation and main points about XML
• Background Technological surveys
• Keywords XML

4
XML

• Adaptation of SGML for Internet by W3C
• Extension of HTML that is to much static
• Based on extensible tags
• About 10 specification for Core XML
• About 200 specification that will probably no
  more exist in 2 years
• SMIL, SVG,MathML, XUL,

5
Les 10 commandements de XML

• 1. Tu seras utilisable sur Internet
• 2. Tu supporteras une grande diversité
  d'applications
• 3. Tu seras compatible SGML
• 4. II devra être aisé d'écrire des programmes qui
  te manipulent
• 5. Tu auras le minimum de fonctions optionnelles
• 6. Tu seras lisible par l'homme
• 7. Tu seras disponible rapidement
• 8. La spécification qui te décrira devra être
  simple et concise
• 9. Un document te respectant devra être facile à
  construire
• 10. Tu pourras ne pas être concis

6
XML Document structure

• Header
• Schema (DTD, XML Schema, Schematron,)
• Document

7
Bookstore XML document with DTD.
lt?xml version"1.0"?gt lt!DOCTYPE BookStore SYSTEM
http//www.books.org /bookstore.dtdgt ltBookStoregt
ltBookgt ltTitlegtMy Life and
Timeslt/Titlegt ltAuthorgtPaul
McCartneylt/Authorgt ltDategtJuly,
1998lt/Dategt ltISBNgt94303-12021-4389
2lt/ISBNgt ltPublishergtMcMillin
Publishinglt/Publishergt lt/Bookgt
... lt/BookStoregt
1
2
1. First, using a DOCTYPE declaration, with the
name of the root element of the XML document
instance 2. Indicate name and path of the DTD
(could be local or on the WEB). Note its
also possible to define the DTD within the
document, or to mix the both with priority to the
DTD inside the XML document.
8
Bookstore DTD BookStore.dtd

• lt!ELEMENT BookStore (Book)gt
• lt!ELEMENT Book (Title, Author, Date, ISBN,
  Publisher)gt
• lt!ELEMENT Title (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT Author (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT Date (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT ISBN (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT Publisher (PCDATA)gt

9
Vocabularies with DTDs
http//www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml
http//www.book.org(targetNamespace)
This is the vocabulary that DTDs provides...
to define...
your (business) vocabulary
10
Question/Discussion
11
Conclusion
12
XML standards classification

• Presentation Nicolas FIGAY
• Animation Thierry CORDIER
• Attendees
• Subject A classification of the different XML
  standards
• Background Technological surveys about
  Industrial data exchange
• Keywords XML, EAI, B2C, B2B, e-business

13
Business context

• E-business, integration of application
• -

14
XML

• XML (Extensible Markup Language) langage à base
  de balise, pour décrire des documents à
  destination du WEB, qui contiennent à la fois des
  données et des indications sur leur rôle
  (méta-données)
• Sous ensemble de SGML (Standard Generalized
  Markup Language) (ISO 8879)
• Plus structurant que HTML, séparation des données
  et de la présentation des données
• Issu du W3C sous forme de recommandation datant
  de 1998
• Les 10 commandements XML (Internet, diversité
  dapplications, compatibilité SGML, facilité de
  programmation, minimum de fonctions optionnelles,
  lisible par lhomme, disponible rapidement,
  spécification simple et concise, facilité de
  construire un document, concision du document
  non requise)
• Structure de document XML
• En tête
• Document Type Definition (DTD) optionnelle /XML
  Schema pour définir la structure
• Document XML
• Équivalence avec Standards STEP
• Document XML Part 21, DTD-XML SchemaEXPRESS
• -gtDTD standardisées pour langages XML spécialisés
  
• XML est un méta langage
• Langages XML concernent une famille très
  nombreuse ( de 100) avec des usages variés
• 9 recommandations principales liées XSL, Xlink,
  Xpointer, XML Schema,XSLT, Xpath, RDF,
  NameSpaces, DOM
• Possibilité de classement selon quatre domaines
  dapplication B2C, B2B, EAI et services WEB

15
XML et le B2C

• B2C forme de-business la commune centrée sur
  lutilisateur
• Vente en ligne, diffusion dinformations, de
  tableaux de bord personnalisés, dadministration
  dapplication
• Standards XML concernés
• XHTML(Extensible HyperText Markup Language)
• Reformulation, compatible XML, dHTML 4.0,
  modulaire (plus strict quHTML)
• XSL Extensible StyleSheet Language
• XSLT transformation dun document en un autre
  par feuilles de style
• XSL-FO rendu de document, renaissance grâce à
  FOP (FO to PDF)
• Xpath recherche dun élément dans un document
  XML
• SVG Scalable Vector Graphics pour dessin
  vectoriel sur le WEB
• XUL XML based User Interface Language
• Langage de description dinterfaces homme/machine
  portable, concurrent de Java sur poste client,
  utilisé pour Mozilla et Netscape 6.
• Équivalences avec standards STEP
• EXPRESS-X/XSLT avec puissance plus importante de
  EXPRESS-X pour passage dune structure à une
  autre
• Remarque relative complexité de XSL lorsquon
  prend en compte les diverses spécifications
  concernées

16
XML et les WEB Services

• Les services WEB sont des composants logiciels
  encapsulant des fonctionnalités métier de
  lentreprise , accessibles via protocoles
  Internet standards, depuis nimporte quelle
  plate- forme ou langage de programmation.
• Standards XML concernés
• SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol)
• Protocole déchange de message dans un milieu
  décentralisé distribué, basé sur XML-RPC, pour
  RPC synchrone ou communication asynchrone. Vise à
  être plus simple que CORBA et DCOM, et à passer
  les firewall (messages HTTP ou SMTP dont le corps
  est un fichier XML).
• WSDL (Web Service Description Language)
• Langage de description de services WEB précis,
  incluant protocoles, serveurs, ports utilisés,
  opérations pouvant être effectuées, formats de
  message dentrée et de sortie, exceptions pouvant
  être renvoyées
• Équivalence avec CORBA SOAPIIOPspéc. firewall
  CORBA 3 et WSDLIDL
• Remarque moins complet et complémentaire de
  CORBA et DCOM, visant le WEB

17
XML et lEAI

• Le but de lEAI (Enterprise Application
  Integration) est de faire communiquer et
  collaborer les applications dune même
  entreprise. Un EAI doit comprendre 4 fonctions
• A- Interfacer ie extraire et injecter des données
  / application (Services WEB et WSDL)
• B- La transformation ou conversion des données
  (XSLT)
• C- Le routage ou le transport des données (SOAP)
• D- Gestion ou suivi de létat du processus (BPML)
• Standards XML concernés
• BPML (Business Process Modeling Language)
• Standard émergeant, métalangage basé sur XML pour
  définir les processus métier
• En cours de spécification à BPMI.org.
• Représente un processus métier comme la
  combinaison déchange de données de façon
  synchrone/asynchrone, de contrôle dintégrité et
  de sécurité et des règles métier.
• Spécifie si les processus supportent les
  transactions courtes ou longues.
• Déploiement à partir de BPQL incluant le contrôle
  et linterrogation détat dinstances de
  processus métier (via SOAP), et le contrôle du
  déploiement de processus gérés par le repository
  de processus métier (WebDAV et registre UDDI)
• Équivalences avec CORBA (Worflow services), les
  spécifications Wfmc, peut être avec BPL
• Remarque émergeant, à évaluer par rapport à
  dautres standards dans le même domaine, évaluer
  la cohérence entre ces standards ie
  compatibilité, coexistence,

18
XML et le B2B (1)

• Le but du B2B (Business to Business) est de
  résoudre les problèmes liés au commerce
  électronique entre partenaires infrastructure
  de communication, présentation des requêtes
  (demande de devis,) de manière formalisée et
  compréhensible par tout fournisseur, découverte
  de nouveaux partenaires et établissement dun
  dialogue,
• Standards XML concernés
• Normes dinfrastructures (SOAP, WSDL, UDDI
  ebXML)
• Normes de contenu concernant la sémantique de
  linformation
• UDDI ( Universal Description, Discovery and
  Integration)
• Annuaire distribué de services WEB et
  dentreprises, lui même sous forme de service WEB
• Pages blanches (nom et adresses des entreprises)
• Pages jaunes (description des métiers et services
  de lentreprises)
• Pages vertes (description des informations
  techniques sur les services proposés références
  vers les spécifications des services Web et
  détails nécessaires à leur utilisation)
• ebXML...

19
XML et le B2B (2)

• ebXML (e business XML)
• Initiative Nations Unies et Oasis (Organisation
  for the Advancement of Structured Information
  Standards), dans le but de définir une
  architecture XML pour créer un marché
  électronique unique et global, où des entreprises
  de nimporte quelle taille et de toute provenance
  peuvent se rencontrer et interagir via léchange
  de messages XML.
• Objectif ouvrir lEDI aux PME-PMI.
• Annuaire analogue à UDDI mais plus complet, avec
  de plus notion de processus métier et daccord de
  collaboration (trading partner agreement ou TPA).
• Architecture globale
• méthodes de description des entreprises, des
  processus métier, des documents associés, des
  vocabulaires communs
• Méthode de définition et de négociation daccords
  de collaboration (Collaboration Partner Agreement
  ou CPA)
• Langage de modélisation de collaborations (tpaML
  ou trading partner agressment modeling language
  dIBM) pour gérer les négociations et définir les
  accords de collaboration entre partenaires
• Architecture de transport basée sur HTTP, TCP/IP,
  Mime, SMTP et FTP et dans lavenir SOAP

20
XML et le B2B (2)

• Standards XML concernés
• Normes de contenu concernant la sémantique de
  linformation
• Spécification verticale RosettaNet dans le
  domaine des technologies de linformation
• Consortium dentreprises de lindustrie des
  technologies de linformation réunies pour créer
  des standards de dialogues métier
• Définition dune structure déchanges des
  informations entre partenaires (RNIF) et
  élaboration dune processus de définition et
  dapprobation des processus métier qui a permis
  dobtenir un consensus rapide des entreprises
  impliquées.
• Définition des dialogues Partner Inteface
  Processes
• Dictionnaires langage commun
• Protocole de transport RNIF (basé XML et HTTP)
  devrait être abandonné pour SOAP
• Spécification verticale dans le domaine du
  manufacturing à surveiller
• Spécification horizontale OAGIS (Open
  Application Integration Group Specification)
• Définition des messages échangés entre les
  applications pour des transactions particulières,
  avec définition de plus de 170 BOD (Business
  Object Documents) pour divers types
  dapplications ERP, e-business, SCM,
• DTD pour représentation des BOD en XML
• Exemple de scénarios dintégration
• BOD pour le manufacturing à surveiller

21
Standards XML conclusion

• Premières conclusions concernant les standards
  XML seuls
• infrastructures de communication stables, XML
  apporte des réponses
• mais intégration de la logique métier impossible
  pour linstant
• BPML nest quau niveau de draft
• ebXML est seulement en cours de développement
• Enfin risque dexplosion des normes de contenu et
  du phénomène de tour de Babel
• Besoins dacteurs forts et de vision globale des
  normes et de leur rôle
• Standards de sécurité pour XML pas approuvé avant
  fin 2001
• 80 des standards XML définis fin 2000 auront
  disparu dici fin 2002
• Conclusions concernant les standards XML ainsi
  que les autres standards STEP et CORBA dans le
  domaine du manufacturing
• Redondances importantes quand aux infrastructures
  de communication, avec parfois incompatibilité
• Les standards XML apportent peu par rapport à
  dautres standards existants utilisés ensemble,
  et sont moins matures. Ils sont redondants entre
  eux, et avec dautres standards tant dans le
  domaine du middleware (CORBA, DCOM),du worflow et
  du BPR (Spécification Wfmc) ou des normes pour la
  sémantique métier (STEP)
• Normes de contenus issues de différentes
  initiatives non coordonnées (AP STEP, interfaces
  CORBA, BOF,) phénomène de la tour de Babel
  encore renforcé

22
L  EAI

• L EAI est une alternative au système spaghetti
  (Gartner Group) et aux blocs opaques intégrés
  (BOI) que constituent les progiciels intégrés.
• Elle aborde de front workflow et interfaces pour
  les données.
• Elle comprend des applications disparates comme
  les serveurs d application, les plate-formes B2B
  ou les data-wharehouses.
• Elle aborde des domaines technologiques variés
  comme
• la gestion des processus transverses
• les interfaces (aspects fonctionnel et technique)
• le workflow documentaire
• le transactionnel inter-applicatif
• l urbanisation du système d information et la
  réutilisation des services génériques
• l interopérabilité
• la maîtrise des données(voir des informations)
  sous leurs formes statique et dynamique

23
Les fonctions de l  EAI
24
Communication et connecteur
Application Métier legacy
Progiciel Service messagerie groupware
base de données
Traduction
Gestion de la transaction
Connexion (driver/port)
communication
connecteur
25
Windchill et l  EAI

• Diverses fonctionnalités d EAI proposées par
  Windchill
• Workflow dans Windchill foundation
• conformité /Wfmc?
• Interconnection avec d autres moteurs de
  worflow?
• Connecteurs avec InfoEngine à investiguer
• Connectivité
• support HTTP, FTP OK
• supportCORBA DCOM?
• Interactivité
• support Java/RMI OK?
• support d ORB et de MOM?
• Quel support pour le dialogue applicatif (outils
  de mapping, simplicité d administration)?

26
Conclusion sur l EAI

• Divers standards fournissent des solutions
  techniques partielles pour l EAI standards XML
  mais aussi STEP, CORBA, Wfmc. On couvre la
  totalité des besoins par l usage simultané de
  ces divers standards.
• Il faut cependant se méfier alors des redondances
  fonctionnelles, des incompatibilités et bien
  séparer les divers aspects à couvrir définition
  de sémantiques, modèles d informations,
  processus et documents standardisés, moteurs de
  workflow, services standards (annuaires
  d entreprises et de services).
• Windchill couplé avec InfoEngine fournit des
  fonctionnalités EAI il reste à qualifier et
  valider connectivité, interactivité et dialogue
  applicatif
• Enfin La plupart des approches EAI proposées
  sont souvent incomplètes et trop basées sur les
  aspects techniques de l informatique!

27
Conclusion

• Utilité de XML XML apporte des réponses stables
  pour des infrastructures de communication
• Immaturité des standards XML L intégration de
  la logique métier est impossible pour linstant
  avec les divers standards XML existants
• Avenir flou Besoins dacteurs forts et de
  vision globale des normes et de leur rôle
• Instabilité80 des standards XML définis fin
  2000 auront disparu dici fin 2002
• Peu d apports par rapport aux autres standarts
  Les standards XML apportent peu par rapport à
  dautres standards existants utilisés ensemble,
  et sont moins matures. Ils sont redondants entre
  eux, et avec dautres standards tant dans le
  domaine du middleware (CORBA, DCOM),du worflow et
  du BPR (Spécification Wfmc) ou des normes pour la
  sémantique métier (STEP)
• Normes de contenus issus de différentes
  initiatives non coordonnées (AP STEP, interfaces
  CORBA, BOF,) phénomène de la tour de Babel
  encore renforcé
• Forte intégration avec les approches EAI mais
  faible maturité
• Besoin d une vision globale des standards et de
  leur positionnement/urbanisme des Systèmes
  d information

28
Question/Discussion
29
Conclusion
30
XML, Schemas and XMI

• Presentation Nicolas FIGAY
• Animation Thierry CORDIER
• Attendees
• Subject Metadata schemas representation so
  many concurrent
• Background Technologies and standards surveys
• Operationnal exchange
• Keywords UML, XMI, XML Schema, Schematron, RDF

31
Business context

• Models of reference for information exchange
  (intra or extra enterprise)
• co-development with Internet
• Application development
• EAI, B2B

32
Motivation of XML Schema

• Initial usage of XML was the structuration of
  documents on the WEB based on specific user
  schema (elements and structure of the element in
  a document).
• The schema was specified using DTDs, that allows
  to specify structure of one instance document,
  and datatype of each element.
• But as new usage domains appears for XML
• exchange between databases
• sharing of data for WEB distributed architecture
• XML Database Systems,
• it appeared that DTDs are limited
• DTD have a different syntax than the XML instance
  document(-gt difficulties to have different
  levels of meta modelisation, no composite DTDs,
  impossible to use XML tools on the DTD
  itself,...)
• DTD support a very limited capability for
  specifying datatypes (-gt not adapted to new
  usage domains for XML)
• gtCreation of XML Schema

33
Purpose of XML Schema

• As DTDs, it specifies the structure of instance
  documents (as a tree)
• Unlike DTDs, it specifies a wide and extensible
  set of datatypes for each element/attribute
• DTD supports 10 datatypes
• XML Schema supports 44 and more (you can create
  your own) datatypes

The schemas created with XML schema are designed
as XML schemas. So confusion is possible between
the schema language and the schema created with
the XML schema language!!!
34
Highlights of XML schema

• Enhanced datatypes
• Written in the same syntax as instance documents
• Object oriented (can extend or restrict a
  type, or derive new type definitions on the basis
  of old ones)
• can express sets (i.e. child elements to occur in
  any order)
• can specify element as being unique (keys on
  content) and uniqueness within a region
  (context)
• Can define multiple elements with the same name
  but different content
• Can define elements with nil content
• Can define substitutable element
• ...

35
Vocabularies with XML Schemas
http//www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema
http//www.books.org (targetNamespace)
This is the vocabulary that XML Schemas
provides...
to define...
your (business) vocabulary
36
Bookstore XML Schema bookstore.xsd
In this case, simple translation without using
all extra capabilities of XML schemas, as for
example to qualify strings by using regular
expressions
lt?xml version"1.0"?gt ltxsdschema
xmlnsxsd"http//www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
targetNamespace"http//www.books
.org" xmlns"http//www.book
s.org" elementFormDefault"q
ualified"gt ltxsdelement name"BookStore"gt
ltxsdcomplexTypegt ltxsdsequencegt
ltxsdelement ref"Book"
minOccurs"1" maxOccurs"unbounded"/gt
lt/xsdsequencegt lt/xsdcomplexTypegt
lt/xsdelementgt ltxsdelement name"Book"gt
ltxsdcomplexTypegt ltxsdsequencegt
ltxsdelement ref"Title"
minOccurs"1" maxOccurs"1"/gt
ltxsdelement ref"Author" minOccurs"1"
maxOccurs"1"/gt ltxsdelement
ref"Date" minOccurs"1" maxOccurs"1"/gt
ltxsdelement ref"ISBN" minOccurs"1"
maxOccurs"1"/gt ltxsdelement
ref"Publisher" minOccurs"1" maxOccurs"1"/gt
lt/xsdsequencegt
lt/xsdcomplexTypegt lt/xsdelementgt
ltxsdelement name"Title" type"xsdstring"/gt
ltxsdelement name"Author" type"xsdstring"/gt
ltxsdelement name"Date" type"xsdstring"/gt
ltxsdelement name"ISBN" type"xsdstring"/gt
ltxsdelement name"Publisher" type"xsdstring"/gt
lt/xsdschemagt
lt!ELEMENT BookStore (Book)gt
lt!ELEMENT Book (Title, Author, Date,
ISBN, Publisher)gt
lt!ELEMENT Title (PCDATA)gt lt!ELEMENT Author
(PCDATA)gt lt!ELEMENT Date (PCDATA)gt lt!ELEMENT
ISBN (PCDATA)gt lt!ELEMENT Publisher (PCDATA)gt
37
Bookstore XML document with XML Schemas
lt?xml version"1.0"?gt ltBookStore xmlns
"http//www.books.org"
xmlnsxsi"http//www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instan
ce" xsischemaLocation"http/
/www.books.org
BookStore.xsd"gt
ltBookgt ltTitlegtMy Life and
Timeslt/Titlegt ltAuthorgtPaul
McCartneylt/Authorgt ltDategtJuly,
1998lt/Dategt ltISBNgt94303-12021-4389
2lt/ISBNgt ltPublishergtMcMillin
Publishinglt/Publishergt lt/Bookgt
... lt/BookStoregt
1
3
2
1. First, using a default namespace declaration,
tell the schema-validator that all of the
elementsused in this instance document come from
the Book namespace. 2. Second, with
schemaLocation tell the schema-validator that the
http//www.books.org namespace is defined by
BookStore.xsd (i.e., schemaLocation contains a
pair of values). 3. Third, tell the
schema-validator that the schemaLocation
attribute we are using is the one in the
XMLSchema-instance namespace.
38
Multiple level of checking
BookStore.xml
BookStore.xsd
XMLSchema.xsd (schema-for-schemas)
Validate that the xml document conforms to the
rules described in BookStore.xsd
Validate that BookStore.xsd is a valid schema
document, i.e., it conforms to the rules
described in the schema-for-schemas
Validate that the xml syntax is OK
XML grammar
39
Generalization in the XML world
Language to define schemas
Business vocabulary
This is the vocabulary that schema language
provides...
to define...
your (business) vocabulary
40
Generalization in the business data
exchange/sharing world
Description Languages to define schemas/interfaces
/models
XMLs DTS (W3C) XML Schemas (W3C) Express/Express-
G (STEP) UML/XMI/OCL (OMG) IDL (OMG) WSDL
(W3C) SQL (ISO)...
Business concepts Business vocabulary
(XML) Business models (UML/XMI) Application
Protocols (EXPRESS) Vertical domain interface
(IDL, WSDL)
This is the concepts supported by vocabulary and
a syntax that language provides...
to define...
your (business) business concepts
41
Schema language/concepts/vocabulary dissociation
Languages to define schemas/models
N
Business vocabulary
1
This is concepts defined through a vocabulary and
a syntax that languages provide...
to define...
your (business) concepts
42
Impedance mismatchfor languages mapping
http//www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml
http//www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema
complexType
ELEMENT
element
ATTLIST
PCDATA
sequence
ID
schema
CDATA
boolean
NMTOKEN
string
ENTITY
integer
No bijection exists between the
concepts/vocabularies provided in the two
languages
43
Bindings
Binding is a (standardized) set of solutions to
implement a model described with a given language
with an another language, if possible in an
automated way. Examples Interface Definition
Language bindings for C, C, Java, it allows
to generate a standardised way proxies and stubs
in different language, the same way for different
developpers, to allow a real interoperability STE
P Standard Data Access Interface bindings it
describes how to go from generic concepts of STEP
information server to application development
(Java, C, C, XML,) using given languages, in
order to allow client-server development.
44
Schemas/ interfaces/models/meta-data (1)

• A schema is the description of structure and
  items within a data/information container
  (database, document, in memory data
  representation).
• It is static (no behavior described)
• It could be application dependent (SQL for RDBS)
  or independent (XML vocabularies with DTDs or XML
  Schemas, STEP AP with Express )
• The schema allows to interpret data within the
  container, and is a necessary basis for establish
  a protocol of communication between two
  applications or organizations.
• With tools it allows to check if data within the
  systems are written with the good syntax
  (parsers) and with respect to the schema
  (validating parsers).
• An interface is description of information or
  services made available (public) by a given
  system. It could be adapted to different kind of
  external actors by the means of views.
• It is static
• It describes not only data that can be access but
  also methods that can be called and how to call
  it. With the principle of encapsulation, the
  internal schema is hidden by the interface (by
  providing signature of the service).
• The information access part is a subset of the
  internal schema of the system, and could be or
  not expressed with the same vocabulary. If not,
  an internal mapping is necessary. The mapping is
  possible if the same concepts are used, organized
  or structured the same way.

45
Schemas/ interfaces/models/meta-data (2)

• Set of models is the description of a system or a
  system family
• A model could be static (UML Class Diagram,...)
  or dynamic (process/activity model -IDEF0, UML
  activity diagram,... - and state diagrams - UML
  state diagrams,...)
• It is used during analysis and conception phases
  when designing a system
• It could be automatically used in the
  development/implementation phase (CASE system as
  Rational Rose, CAD/CAM models reuse to parameter
  tooling,). It becomes then a part of the
  implementation.
• Most of the time, the internal schema and the
  interface of a system are build from static
  models.
• A schema or an interface are particular cases of
  models, statics and dedicated to describe precise
  parts of a system.
• With a good methodology and adapted tools, its
  possible to reuse a business schema, defined
  during the analysis phase, all along the
  development of the system and to make it a part
  of the implementation (it will not be described
  in this document, nor done in this study).

46
Schemas/ interfaces/models/meta-data (3)

• Meta data are the data that describe data.
  According the different technologies, the way to
  do it and the usage may differ a lot, due to
  basic concepts of each technology.
• In XML, its the data provide inside tags
• ltmetadatagt data lt/metadatagt
• The meta data are structured by XML and by
  description of schemas (using DTD or XML schema
  syntax).
• An XML schema vocabulary exists that described
  XML schema structured that is then a meta meta
  schema.In STEP, its the name of entity provided
  for each object in P21 files
• xxxNAMEOFENTITY(data, data,)
• The meta data are structured by description of a
  schema (using EXPRESS).
• The EXPRESS vocabulary could be described using
  EXPRESS itself or a BNF grammar. In the first
  case, it allows to describe a schema with P21
  syntax (as a set of STEP data) and to have an
  EXPRESS meta meta schema written in EXPRESS. In
  the second case, it allows to efficiently and
  quickly write EXPRESS parsers using tools as LEX
  and YACC

47
Schemas/ interfaces/models/meta-data (4)

• In UML, this concept is also supported in the
  model centric architecture proposed by OMG
• ltltstereotypesgtgt provides a way to extend core UML
  vocabulary.
• The stereotypes can be organized then for a given
  business area, providing models. Core UML is then
  considered as a meta meta model.
• One example is the set of stereotypes provided
  for CORBA by OMG, that allows bindings between
  UML and IDL.
• To introduce such concept allows
• Semantics/Vocabularies management (described in
  models, schema or interfaces) by users or vendors
  using software tools provided by vendors
  (application servers, CASE, ). It is also the
  basis for mapping and mapping tools (Integration
  servers, XSL, Express-X, bindings,)

48
What XML Schema and XML Schemas are and are not
XML schema is a language allowing to describe
schemas (i.e. description of structure and items
within a data/information container (database,
document). XML schema is not as easy as UML for
modeling purpose. As XML schemas are written in
XML, a schema written with XML Schema can be
considered as an XML document, with all the
advantages (compound dynamic schema, WEB
navigation, presentation with style sheets using
CSS or XSL,) but also the disadvantages (more
complex, less readable)
49
What XML is and is not not

• XML is not a modeling language nor a language
• XML is not a schema description language
• XML is a meta-language allowing to describe some
  other languages (e.g. XML Schema, XML Interchange
  Language or XMI to exchange UML models, SMIL for
  multimedia, WSDL for description of WEB services,
  SOAP that a Simple Object Access Protocol)
• An XML document is a document containing a data
  part, using the XML syntax, and optionally a
  schema. The schema can be written with different
  syntaxes DTDs, XML Schemas but also RDF, As
  data part contains both data and meta data
  (inside tags), it could be possible to build the
  DTD or a part of the DTD from metadata in some
  case.

50
XML Schemas usage

• A schema written with XML Schemas language
  XML documents can be used together
• to exchange/share data with a high level of
  semantics between applications. It nevertheless
  implies that the applications have import and
  export capabilities
• capacity to use a schema written with XML schema
• capacity to import an XML document using this
  schema
• capacity of using the schema for a given purpose
  (early or late binding)
• it also implies to have some tools allowing to
  validate the exchange file! It should be a XML
  Schema validating parsers but able to take into
  account a schema written with XML Schemas i.e. to
  check all the type - pre defined or user defined
  - and the rules described in the schema.
• it also implies to have some tools to visualize
  and to present XML documents described by XML
  Schema as XSLT and stylesheet languages (CSS,)
  for human usage.
• to support distributed data on the WEB. It
  nevertheless implies to also have some other
  tools as an object access protocol (as SOAP), a
  language of description of interface (as WSDL)
  and a standard architecture to organize the
  services at a high level (as OMA from OMG)
• to create an XML database
• to structure WEB documents and data a more
  efficient way than HTML, with a high level of
  semantic, and more specifically in the B2C and
  B2B area

51
Impact in the XML world and on users

• Because of impedance mismatch, not easy to reuse
  DTD vocabularies as XML Schemas vocabularies
• A DTD / XML Schemas standard mappings and binding
  should be necessary to simplify the reuse of
  DTDs, if possible (10 types against 40 types)
• The required tools for parsing and validating XML
  documents will not be the same according the
  schema language used (DTD syntax or XML Schemas
  syntax). Multiple level of checking required.
• Business Application protocols required for
  interoperability/ data exchange and sharing/long
  term archiving
• What will be the schema describing language to
  formalize the Application protocols?
• What will be the organism that will manage these
  business protocols?
• What about the other schema definition languages
  that still exist and are use in the W3C community
  (for example RDF, XDR, SOX, Schematron or DSD)?
• Is XML Schemas language adapted for end user
  Business concepts and vocabulary definition ?
  (its a little bit complex)

52
Co existence of DTD and XML schemas

• DTD much more simpler
• DTD more adapted to textual application
• Important set of existing DTD, that will not be
  converted in one day
• When created first, capability to translate one
  direction to DTD (as DTD less expressive than XML
  Schemas)How to manage it? For example using
  UML, EXPRESS as main languages to specify
  terminologies

53
Co existence of DTD and XML schemas

• DTD much more simpler
• DTD more adapted to textual application
• Important set of existing DTD, that will not be
  converted in one day
• When created first, capability to translate one
  direction to DTD (as DTD less expressive than XML
  Schemas)How to manage it? For example using
  UML, EXPRESS as main languages to specify
  terminologies

54
UML models in XML

• Mapping of Namespace?
• Unicity of element names?
• Element or attribute?
• Multiplicity constraints?
• Inheritance?
• Content models?
• Order?
• Data types?
• Relationships?
• gt DTD strict or not
• gt XMI

55
Part 21 in XML

• Same kind of questions
• gt binding to XML Part 25
• Different kind of binding
• Late bindings (Protocol independant)
• Early binding (Protocol dependant)
• Multiplication of the size a factor one hundred
• XML DTD less expressive than EXPRESS

56
EXPRESS in UML via XMI

• Same kind of questions
• gt binding to UML Part 28
• Running
• Different kind of usage
• Exchange of data with transformation ofSDAI using
  MOF
• Application protocoles usage at analysis and
  modeling phases

57
Some resources

• XML Schemas
• Specifications W3C WEB site,
  http//www.w3.org/TR/xmlschema-part where part is
  0, 1 or 2
• Information W3C WEB Site http//www.w3.org,
  Microsoft , Sun, Oracle
• Vocabularies OASIS at http//www.oasis-open.org/
  cover/sitelndex.html , Schema.net at
  http//schema.net,
• Free software have a look at IBM Alphaworks,
  Sun, Microsoft, Oracle, Notice that Xerces Java
  for Apache support XML Schemas( at
  httpxml.apache.org/xerces-j/index.html), that
  W3C provide XSV to validate an XML Schema,,...

58
Question/Discussion
59
Conclusion
60
XML and STEP application protocols

• Presentation Nicolas FIGAY
• Animation Thierry CORDIER
• Attendees
• Subject XML applied to the industrial sharing
• Background technological surveys
• Keywords XML, ISO STEP10303, Part 28, Part 25

61
Business context

• Between enterprises, enables Consistent and
  Timely Data Sharing by Participants
• Between functions, enables Complete and Accurate
  Data Exchange and Use
• Between designs, enables Reuse of Design,
  Planning and Manufacturing Data
• Allows long term archiving

62
Role of STEP between Companies
Enables Consistent and Timely Data Sharing by
Participants
Concept
Customers
Design
Fabricate
Assemble
Primes
Test/Deliver
Suppliers
Support
Subcontractors
63
Role of STEP between Functions
Enables Complete and Accurate Data Exchange and
Use
64
Role of STEP between designs
Enables Reuse of Design, Planning and
Manufacturing Data
65
Role of STEP for Data Archival
Past
Future
Drawings
ASSY - 001
CONTRACT NO. 235-899-C-02
Warehouses
Tapes
Underground Mines
66
STEP standards architecture
67
Application protocol structure
68
Exchange
69
Sharing
70
Some STEP AP

• 203 Configuration controlled Design
• 209 Design through analysis of composite and
  metallic structures
• 214 Core data for automotive mechanical design
  processes
• 232 Technical data packaging
• 233 System Engineering Application Protocol

71
STEP Organizations and usage

• ISO STEP 10303
• STEP Centres
• GOSET (France)
• ProSTEP (Germany)
• PDESInc (USA)
• China, Canada,Japan , Portugal,
• Vendors CAx tools providers, PDM, ERP, PLM
  tools providerSpecialized providers StepTools,
  EPM technologies, ProSTEP,
• Industrial projects and usage
• VBA, ODET (Automotive Industry)
• AIRBUS (AP2251, in-house PDM to commercial PDM)
  onAP214-PDM Schema
• SEDRES (EADS LV, Military Aircraft, ) on AP233
  for Systems)
• Links CAO and simulation (AP209)
• PDM IF

72
XML STEP comparison (1)

• STEP is a ISO standard dedicated to data exchange
  in manufacturing domain. It provides
• Application protocols similar to vocabularies.
  To define this is the most difficult for data
  exchange/sharing process, because it implies
  consensus about business concepts, to be done by
  the expert of the concerned domain. The business
  concepts are technology independent. It means
  that its possible to take a STEP AP (the schema)
  and to exchange it using XML documents (data
  container) and the concepts of the protocol
  written in XML Schema.
• It could be done using a binding (if possible
  standardized) between EXPRESS and XML Schemas.
  Part 28 of STEP already provides XML bindings
  for XML documents and schema written with a DTD.
  The next phase should be to provide a binding
  targeting an XML document and a schema written in
  XML Schemas.

73
XML STEP comparison (2)

• Part 21 file syntax similar to XML document
  data part syntax. In both case, theres data and
  meta data in the files. In part 21, its done by
  providing for each object the state of the object
  (data) and the type of the object i.e. the entity
  name (meta data). In XML file, the meta data is
  between tags.
• EXPRESS, language to describe schema similar to
  XML Schema syntax the capacities are about the
  same for data exchange/sharing process.
• The differences are EXPRESS is more human
  readable and compact than XML schemas.
• EXPRESS is easier to write by hand (because more
  concise), and its possible to use EXPRESS-G for
  graphical representation.
• The schema written with XML Schemas can be
  considered as a XML document, that allows to the
  WEB capacities of XML (presentation using style
  sheet, navigation, parsing tools for the schema
  -not for the data).

74
About free tools

• If many free tools exist in the XML area, its
  important to verify if these tools are really
  usable in an industrial context!

75
Bookstore Express schema

• SCHEMA bookstore
• ENTITY Date
• Day integer
• Month integer
• Year integer
• rules of validation of Day, Month and Year
• END ENTITY
• ENTITY BOOKSTORE
• Books SET OF BOOK
• END ENTITY
• ENTITY Book
• Title string
• Author string
• DateOfEdition Date
• ISBN string
• BookPublisher Publisher
• WHERE wr1 (SELF.DateOfEdition.Yeargt1950) --
  rule

Rules and Functions can be defined in order to
add complex constraints data must respect. A
graphical language, EXPRESS-G, allows graphic
representation of the schema
76
Bookstore Part 21 file
ISO-10303-21 HEADER FILE_DESCRIPTION((bookstore
example), 1) FILE_NAME(bookstore
example.p21,,,,,,) FILE_SCHEMA((bookstore)) END
SEC DATA 1Book(My Life and Times, Paul
McCARTNEY, 2, 94303-12021-43892, 3) 2Date
(,07,1998) 3Publisher (McMillin
Publishing) ... ENDSEC END-ISO-10303-21
1
2
3
1. First indicate that the file is a part 21
file, so indicate the used syntax. Here no name
space indicated. Implicitly, its ISO 10303. But
theres no pass to reach it as STEP is
implementation independent, we are not supposed
to have some Internet connection. 2. Second
provide a HEADER section describing the file
(name, description, author,date,) and more
especially the schema used. It will be possible
to validate the data using the EXPRESS schema.
Idem for the path to reach the schema. 3. Third,
data section, where each object is identified by
a number preceded by . It allows to refer an
object in an another object (equivalent to ID
IDREF in XML).
77
Multiple level of checking for STEP too
BookStore.p21
BookStore.exp
EXPRESS grammar
Validate that the p21 file conforms to the rules
described in BookStore.exp
Validate the syntax of P21 file
Validate the syntax of the schema
P21 grammar
78
Some differences (1)

• Looking at the way to proceed with the different
  technologies, it appears that
• Systematic separation of syntax and structure
  validation with XML
• Everything with XML Schema approach is an XML
  document data, schema and meta schema.
  Consequently, there is not a grammar for the
  schema level (XML Schema language), but still an
  XML Schema (at the meta level). The advantage is
  that it allows to be able to use schemas and XML
  schemas as XML documents for the WEB. But all
  this becomes very difficult to read for a human,
  and style sheets (that are not so easy to write)
  are necessary to present these models a more
  readable way.
• With EXPRESS, a grammar is provided that merge
  syntax and structure aspects. Advantage is a
  clearer separation between data and schemas, that
  make STEP data and schemas easier to read than
  XML one for a complex schema
• XML documents huge compare to STEP data files or
  EXPRESS schemas
• In a XML documents, all the meta data are
  repeated each time there is a piece of data, as
  tags. It implies (if we refer to STEP vocabulary)
  not only entity names but also attributes name.
  There is a factor 10 of difference comparing P21
  file.
• With EXPRESS, a grammar is used, that make
  description of the schema shorter and easier to
  read.

79
Some differences (2)

• STEP less integrated to the WEB compared to XML
• at data level
• XML was design for the WEB, to respond to HTML
  lakes, and to simplify SGML and to adapt it to
  the WEB. Consequently XML data are adapted to the
  WEB, and allow usage of most of the Internet
  technologies as URI, URL, navigation, XPATH,
• STEP was not design for the WEB. To adapt it to
  the WEB requires to use some internet
  technologies as HTML or XML, to add navigation
  and presentation capacities. Its proposed by
  most of the STEP based software (e.g. data set at
  PDMIF), but its not a part of ISO STEP itself.
• at schema level
• With XML Schema,, XML schemas are themselves a
  XML document, and can use all the advantages
  described for the XML data. It also allows
  compound schemas, resources sharing on a WEB
  basis (URL and URI), namespace,
• As for data, STEP schemas are not design for the
  WEB. Usage of HTML or XML is still needed to
  create WEB documents. Its more and more done for
  the STEP application protocols, using
  functionalities coming from STEP software. A good
  example of what is possible is the CD ROM of
  AP214 AP provided by ISO.

80
Strategies for Defining Semantics of business
concepts with XML or STEP
81
From a standardization point of view with
business data/sharing objective (1)

• STEP is a series of ISO standards (ISO 10303) ,
  i.e. a consensus between all the expert in the
  world in a given domain.
• Its also managed by an independent organism,
  ISO.
• Vocabularies coming from other communities are
  most of the time not a norm nor a standard (even
  if called so). A lot are existing (Babel tower
  phenomenon) and some doubts exists about there
  perenniality, especially when managed by vendors
  (according Gartner Group 80 of XML standards
  existing today will no more exist end of 2002).

82
From a standardization point of view with
business data/sharing objective (2)

• The questions to respond here are
• Do we need a normalized Business Application
  Protocol with some perenniality and
  independence?If yes, ISO STEP APs is the way. If
  no, a specific vocabulary may be used
• What is the best technology to use to write the
  schemas?The response will be done according the
  usage we want to do of the AP defining a
  schema, an interface, a model. XML standards are
  still immature and evolving. XML standards are
  not ISO standards, and proprietary implementation
  exists or may exist (Vendor usual practice).
  Consequently it is probably a good thing to
  continue to use EXPRESS for AP modeling, and to
  allow some bindings with XML standards. A risk if
  a company use XML standards to model their
  application protocols and business concepts is to
  have to rewrite it when the XML standards will
  evolve, that will lead to translate the schemas.

83
From a standardization point of view with
business data/sharing objective (3)

• What is the best technology from software
  developers point of view?XML and XML Schemas are
  supported by the main actors in application
  development (Microsoft,IBM), and provide a
  consensual way for WEB interoperability still
  using already existing protocols (COM, CORBA,),
  without replacing them. XML technologies will be
  consequently used and it will be necessary to
  master them. The problem is that, as for
  programming language and technologies, the life
  cycle of the different XML technologies is very
  short. When will we have a new and more efficient
  Schema definition language? And which one to use
  today, with some guaranty about perennially of
  the developed applications?
• Should the industrial companies follow the
  software vendors that are so keen on XML?The XML
  standards are presented by vendors as the
  solution for exchange between applications. They
  are presented as simple (human readable, not to
  much complex is one of the 10 rules of XML, ).
  But looking at the numerous XML standards and
  usages, its not obvious that its the fact. A
  lot of expertise is required and consequently XML
  is a good opportunity to sell services. Its
  acceptable only if it addresses efficiently
  needs of industrial companies.

84
Conclusion (1)

• The XML Schema language that allows to write
  schemas with the XML syntax is motivated to allow
  supporting exchange between databases, sharing of
  data for WEB distributed architecture, XML
  Database Systems,
• The capability are then similar between STEP
  technologies for data exchange (Part 21 syntax
  for data and EXPRESS for schemas against XML
  document data part syntax for data and XML
  Schemas for schemas)
• The questions to compare them are
• Do we need a normalized Business Application
  Protocol with some perennially and independence?
• What is the best technology to use to write the
  schemas of application protocols?
• What will be the technical de facto standards to
  be aware of?
• Should the industrial companies follow the
  software vendors that are so keen on XML?

85
Conclusion (2)

• STEP APs and STEP technologies seemed to be the
  good choice for long term guaranty. For
  application dedicated to WEB, XML standards are
  more adapted.
• As pushed by main software vendors, XML Standards
  and XML Schema will probably be de facto
  standards (but which technologies within the
  numerous XML specifications). It will probably be
  used by PTC for Windchill (Infoengine) in future
  versions (but how?).
• Binding between technologies are consequently
  important to continue to use the good tool for
  the good usage (new binding in part 28 for XML
  Schema?). Its important to point that such
  binding is not trivial.
• Its not sure that XML standards, that shouldnt
  be consider as simple, respond to the needs of
  industrial companies.

86
XML /STEP

• AP STEP similaires au BOD XML, en plus complet,
  avec lavantage dêtre des normes ISO (pérennité,
  limitation du phénomène Tour de Babel)
• Fichiers part 21 schémas EXPRESS similaires aux
  documents XML avec DTD/XMLSchema, avec lavantage
  dêtre plus mature. Plus grande complexité du
  côté XML(la simplicité initialement visée des
  standards XML se perd), EXPRESS plus puissant et
  complet.
• Par contre XML permet de couvrir des aspects non
  couverts par STEP présentation, documents WEB
  navigables, accès en ligne facilité en passant
  par des services WEB XML (à valider, cf projet
  PDM Net de ProSTEP, Virtual PDM), plus
  d interfaces disponibles pour les progiciels du
  marché)
• Outils de transformation EXPRESS-X pour STEP,
  XSLT pour XML. Puissance plus importante pour
  EXPRESS-X (ltOpen Fusion serveur dintégration
  utilise Expressive, implémentation de EXPRESS-X)
• SDAI doit pouvoir sintégrer dans une
  architecture avec communication via SOAP, WSDL
  (par encapsulation, analogue à ce qui peut se
  faire via CORBA)
• Importance de la définition de vocabulaires
  métiers standards, adressé uniquement par STEP
  qui est une norme ISO.
• Focalisation sur des transactions pour XML, doù
  limitation et risque dexplosion sémantique.
• Usages déjà opérationnel d AP en Entreprise
  comme référence (ex AP214 chez Renault)

87
XML STEP Binding part 28, UML/EXPRESS

• La Part 28 STEP propose différents binding XML
  pour STEP
• Un late binding et deux early binding, qui seront
  probablement étendus par la suite.
• Le standard nest pas encore au niveau IS,
  lutilité nest pas encore complètement démontrée
  
• Fichiers de données extrêmement importants en
  taille
• Relative complexité / Fichiers STEP (Part 21)
• Apports des standards XML /STEP-architectures
  distribuées dans le domaine de lEAI et du B2B ?
• Des implémentations sont cependant déjà
  disponibles pour les exports Part 28 (EDM de EPM
  technologies par exemple), PDM Net de ProSTEP,
  certaines applications d EUROSTEP.
• La part 25 (UML/EXPRESS) sappuiera sur les DTD
  de la part 25, sur XMI et sur la version de UML
  qui sera standard ISO.
• Appui sur des DTD ou XML Schema?
• Avis CCR
• manque de maturité ou de visibilité actuellement
• besoin didentifier rôle et besoins couverts par
  chaque technologie
• Diverses implémentations Part 28 déjà sur le
  marché, sur des normes qui cependant risquent de
  bouger (pas encore statut IS)

88
Ressources

• STEP
• Norms ISO site, AFNOR site, GDN (inside EADS)
  provides access to norms bought by EADS and WG11
  working group (Part 28 for STEP XML binding) at
  the NIST WEB site.
• Information STEP centres (GOSET, ProSTEP, PDES
  Inc, Implementor forums, ECON, ,), vendors (
  STEP Tools, EuroSTEP,EPM Technologies,) or users
  ( NASA)
• Free software NIST Expresso now called Express
  Engine at http//exp-engine.sourceforge.net

89
Question/Discussion
90
Conclusion
91
XML Based distribution

• Presentation Nicolas FIGAY
• Animation Thierry CORDIER
• Attendees
• Subject XML based RPC and distributed
  architecture
• Background Data exchange and sharing studies
  (1998-2002) RISESTEP, SAVE
• Technological surveys
• Keywords XML, SOAP, XML RPC, XML Services, COR