Mike Rawlins

1
Introduction to ebXML

• Mike Rawlins
• ebXML Requirements Team Project Leader

2
What Well Cover

• Background on ebXML Initiative
• ebXML Requirements
• Product and Process Architectures
• Overview of Specifications and Reports
• Whats next

3
The ebXML Initiative - Inception

• Initiated by UN/CEFACT - United Nations Centre
  for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business
• Recruited OASIS - Organization for the
  Advancement of Structured Information Standards
• Announced September, 1999
• To be a 15 to 18 month work program

4
Industry Groups Support ebXML

The Open Healthcare Group
5
OASIS Members Support ebXML
6
The ebXML Initiative - Execution

• First meeting in November, 1999
• Very broad participation
• Get acquainted
• Organized into project teams
• Meetings every three months
• Final meeting in May, 2001

7
ebXML Goals and Requirements

• Specifications to enable interoperability
• Extend e-commerce to SMEs and emerging markets
• Business requirements
• Minimize cost, internationalization, security,
  legal, etc.
• Infrastructure functional requirements
• ebXML Process Organization

8
ebXML Architectures

• Product Architecture - the technical
  infrastructure
• Process Architecture - how to do business process
  analysis for e-commerce (systems, standards, XML
  schemas, etc.)

9
Technical Infrastructure Elements

• Messaging Service
• Registry Repository
• Trading Partner Information
• Business Process Specification Schema

10
Messaging Service

• Exchange payload reliably securely
• Internal routing
• Neutral to actual file transfer protocol

11
Registry Repository

• RR together form a database
• Provide services to
• Store and retrieve objects
• Query
• Update
• Track versions
• Classify

12
Trading Partner Information

• Technical details of how to do e-business
• Collaboration Protocol Profile (CPP)
• Collaboration Protocol Agreement (CPA)

13
Business Process Specification Schema (BPSS)

• Business details of how to do e-business
• Provides a way to describe a business process in
  an XML document
• Implements subset of UN/CEFACT Meta Model

14
Usage Example
Request ebXML specification
Send ebXML specification
Build System
Register company profile
ebXML Repository
TPA Accepted
Submit TPA
Specifications
Query about Company X
Send Company Xs Profile
Profiles
Request Company Xs Scenario
Send Company Xs Scenario
Scenarios
ebXML Software
Company Y
ebXML BO Library
ebXML BP Model
15
Business Process Analysis

• Primary methodology is UN/CEFACTs Modeling
  Methodology (UMM)
• Defines process and the types of information
  required from the analysis
• Provides initial catalogs of
• Business processes
• Core components

16
ebXML Core Components

• Building blocks for XML schemas, etc.
• Syntax neutral, with unique IDs
• Similar to common business objects but with
  context
• Naming conventions follow ISO 11179
• Description of context drivers
• Approach for extending core components into
  context dependent domain components

17
Putting It Together
Business Process and Information Models
UML to XML conversion
Registration
Retrieval of new or updated ebXML Models
Retrieval of new or updated ebXML Models
Repository
Retrieval of ebXML Specifications Models
Internal Business App
Shrink-wrap Application
Implementers
Build
Build
TPA
ebXML Transport
Business Message
BSI Interface
Business Message
BSI Interface
18
Product versus Process
Business Process and Information Models
UML to XML conversion
Registration
Retrieval of new or updated ebXML Models
Retrieval of new or updated ebXML Models
Repository
Retrieval of ebXML Specifications Models
Internal Business App
Shrink-wrap Application
Implementers
Build
Build
TPA
ebXML Transport
Business Message
BSI Interface
Business Message
BSI Interface
19
Technical Specifications

• Requirements Specification
• Technical Architecture
• Business Process Specification Schema
• Registry Information Model
• Registry Services Specification
• Messaging Services Specification
• Collaboration Protocol Profile Agreement

20
Technical Reports

• Total of 14
• Business Process
• Overview, guidelines, worksheets, catalogs
• Core Components
• Technical Architecture Risk Assessment

21
White Papers

• Using UDDI to find ebXML Registry
• Registry Security Proposal
• Proposed revisions to architecture

22
Proofs of Concept

• Started at May, 2000 meeting - Message Handling
• Final PoC in May, 2001 demonstrated most of ebXML
• Many vendors participated

23
Whats Next

• OASIS responsible for
• Messaging Services
• Registry
• CPA/CPP
• UN/CEFACT responsible for
• Business Process
• Core Components

24
Whats Next

• Jointly responsible for
• New requirements
• Architecture
• Marketing
• Work together by
• Steering group
• Joint meetings
• Liaisons

25
UN/CEFACT Plans

• Proposal to transform the EDIFACT Working Group
  into
• Electronic Business Working Group
• BPI Modeling
• UN/EDIFACT
• Syntax Production Rules
• Support Libraries
• Architecture

26
Related Efforts

• EWG/X12 Joint Core Components initiative
• Started in fall, 2000
• Continuing, but dependent on CEFACT reorg
• UBL
• Universal Business Language
• Initiated by Jon Bosak of Sun
• Interim solution, based on xCBL
• Trying to work under UN/CEFACT auspices

27

• ebXML is our only chance this decade to
  establish an international e-commerce standard.

28

• It is clear that ebXML will soon become the
  standard for all global trade. By implementing
  ebXML, GCI takes advantage of the excellent work
  thats being accomplished to streamline many EDI
  processes and remove waste and redundancy from
  supply chains.

29

• ebXML provides a platform on which to build
  standards ... that are developed faster and yet
  supported by a rich set of software tools.

30
For More Information

• ebXML - www.ebxml.org
• UN/CEFACT - www.unece.org/cefact
• OASIS - www.oasis-open.org
• Critical Analysis of ebXML - www.rawlinsecconsulti
  ng.com