NIH Web Services Discovery System and B2B eXchange

1
NIH Web Services Discovery System andB2B
eXchange
SICoP Technology Briefing NSF, Vienna, VA
January 2006 David RR Webber webberd_at_od.nih.gov
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SICoP Workshop Focus

• How are We Building Collaboration Readiness and
  Discernment?
• How can multiple communities from diverse sectors
  work together using relevant scenarios to build
  stewardship practices that support readiness and
  realization of shared missions? (30JP)
• How is the emerging maturity of notation systems
  generally, including the DRM v2.0, enabling
  multiple notation (modeling) systems to reinforce
  and map to one another, while contributing to
  current demands for real-time readiness and
  visibility of the "whole picture"? (30JQ)
• How can the capacities of trust, agility, and
  accountability be achieved through federated
  stewardship among communities still building
  common ground and understanding? (30JR)
• How can Communities of Interest define their
  identities, roles, and governance relationships
  in a manner that reinforces their individual and
  collective capacities? (30JS)

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Agenda

• Business Objectives, History, Deliverables
• Technology Approach
• Technology Detail
• Timelines
• Opportunity Summary

4
Business Objectives, History, Deliverables

• Overview of Work in Progress

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NIH eRA Competitive Grants Applications

• Currently handling about 2,000,000 pieces of
  paper annually scanning to digital images
• Web front door - Commons system
• Number of Commons Logons FY 2004
  565,344 FY 2005 to present 946,330
• Registered Organization (All) 2884, and
  Registered Persons - 45334
• Grants applications posted electronically
• eSNAP - FY 2003  329 FY 2004  2,854
  Since 10/1/2004   5783
• The total number of FSRs processed (internal and
  external) 54657

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e-CGAP Electronic Competitive Grant Application
Process

• Paperless grant applications and all post
  submission downstream processing
• Extending a seamless grant workflow into the
  external community
• Promote the concept of service provider
• Leads to need for system to system interfaces and
  data streams
• Which leads to the use of business to business
  electronic commerce concepts and standards
• HHS Award Winning effort

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Need to provide a common view
The typical grant applicants challenge
Juggling all the various different formats and
procedures
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Existing CGAP Transactions in place

• Submission of modular grants
• Submission of full budget grants (no sub-projects
  or consortia)
• Validation result returned to Submitter system
• Validation service before submission
• Grant image generation by NIH
• View and approve generated image for sign-off of
  submission (web GUI)
• Investigator Personal profile query and update
• Status inquiries in grant workflow processing
• Notification of peer review assignment

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Grants.gov Interfacing Schedule
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Sample - Hourly Diagnostics Reporting

• Time Related Reporting
• Submissions processed within the last 24 hours
  102
• Grant images created within the last 24 hours 25
• SBIR/STTR totals
• Total SBIR/STTR submissions processed 7932
• Total SBIR/STTR grant images created 1849
• Total unique SBIR/STTR applications with
  outstanding validation errors 517
• Grand totals to date
• Total submissions processed 8560
• Total grant images created 2011
• Total applications awaiting verification 61
• Total applications verified 1924
• Total applications rejected 26
• Total applications processed through Receipt and
  Referral 1810
• Total unique applications with outstanding
  validation errors 576

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Beyond Grants Applications

• The ability to interface quickly and easily to
  external parties with limited resources is not
  just a grants applications need
• Secure reliable verifiable common communications
  infrastructure based on open public
  specifications
• Other potential applicable areas
• HHS - Cancer Research Centers
• CDC Emergency Alerting systems
• NSF National Science Foundation grants
• Navy Medical Services coordination
• FEMA Emergency supply chain delivery
• DHS Intra-agency information sharing
• EPA External regulatory reporting

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Technology Approach

• Overview of Architecture and Components

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Leveraging Open Standards

• Combining best-of-breed solution with both ebXML
  and Web services working together
• Open source solution components to allow
  unrestricted integration by partners
• Foundation of ebXML formal interchange model
• Leveraging loose coupling of web services

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Exchange Functional Components
Network
Security
Content Transport
Payload Handling
Registry
Manage
Business Systems
Workflow
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Exchange Operational Details
Network
Security
Content Transport
Payload Handling
Registry
Manage
Business Systems
Workflow
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Grants Implementation Overview
Government Partners
1
Applicant Authority
Partner Management Web forms
CPA instances
2
Proxy Submission Service Provider
3
Local Applicant Company
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Service Provider view - single process
REGISTRY
Institution - Service Provider
ebXML
ebXML HL7
ebXML
Single User Interface or Site
ebXML
ebXML HL7
ebXML
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Example eRA and Grants.gov (Competitive Grants)
eRA eXchange Services eRA
Applicant
Grants.gov
eRA Exchange
2
ebXML
Grants.gov Intake Processing
eRA eXchange Intake
OPEN / PLUGGABLE
Pure Edge Forms
download
eRA eXchange XML validation
MONO CLOSED SYSTEM
1
3
eRA eXchange Services Business Validation DB
Load Image generation
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E R A
eRA COMMONS
5
6
Validation Results Notification
eRA COMMONS Interface Status Validation
results Image Verification Sign-Off
email
Web forms interface
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Technology Detail

• Components, Specifications and Implementation

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Information Exchange Integration requirements

• Outward facing messaging systems
• Formal agreement profiles for business
  participants
• Business process workflow definitions
• Information exchange rules
• Registry to hold agreements, definitions,
  scripts
• Internal integration routing and dispatch
  methods
• User interfacing for entry and control

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B2B Exchange Design Goals

• Automated registration of participants
• Ability to self-certify exchange transactions
• Version control and ability to approve partners
• Centralized registry for participant management
• Declared and shared business rule scripting
• Integration through messaging services
• Backend application integration services
• Uses open public specifications and open source

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Architecture Needs Overview
Web service delivery ebXML delivery Staged
delivery HL7 support
Network Infrastructure
Certification Service
Authentication, Validation, Routing
Security Service
Message Transfer
Roles
MoU
Persistence Queue
Registry of Rules and Agreements
Certs
SQL DB
Queue Monitor
Nouns
XML
Dispatch Handler
HL7/XML Data Services
Integration Management
Partner Management
Internal Applications
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Exchange Concurrent Processing Architecture
Load Balancing
Staged Delivery Agent
Partner Security Services
4
Application
1
Notify
External Sender A
Process Queuing
4
7
Subscribe
Download Queue
Publish
Request / Response
3
From / To filtering
Received Queue
Dispatch Agent
Receipt Agent(s)
5
Requests
Payload Staging Area
Payload
Responses
Delivery Services
2
6
Dispatch Services
Send
External Sender B
Partner Security Services
(Pluggable exchanges controlled using Hermes
messaging server using WSDL, ebMS, AS/2, HL7)
1
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Example Messaging Hub and B2B components
NIH Single Sign On
Institution - Service Provider
Application Receipt and Review
Researchers
eRA IC OpDiv
Fellows
Single User Interface or Site
eXchange
Trainees
Clinicians
Research
Administrators
Applicants
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Technical discussion of the eXchange

• Exchange context
• Exchange components
• 4 major components
• eRA eXchange
• eRA eXchange Client
• eRA eXchange Services
• eRA Registry
• ebXML
• Web services

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Example Grants.gov interfacing
Grants.Gov
Web services
Staged Delivery
ebXML
OC4J
OC4J
Exchange Client
Era Exchange
Exchange services
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eRA eXchange Overview Today
Other NIH Internal Systems

Grants.gov
NCI ?
eRA eXchange
HERMES ebMS
NCRR
Package Handlers
Common Services
API
NLM
Trading Partner System


Transaction Handlers
Staged Delivery
Authorization registry
Virus Checking
Management Audits
Reporting
Validation Service
Routing
eRA Systems
Grants.gov WSDL
Exchange Services
eRA- HERMES
HERMES ebMS

E- Notification

HERMES ebMS
API
eCGAP Format
API
WSDL
Business Applications
Partner System Interface
Message Processors
eRA SAN
ebMS Server
eRA Bus Data
Audits
Registration
ebMS Client
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eRA Exchange Components

• Multiple message handlers
• Hermes is used to provide messaging services
• Grants.gov toolkit web services for intake
• Current CGAP intake, WSDL web services
• eXchange Common Services
• Validation, virus checking, routing
• Authorization
• Audits
• Leveraging open source solutions

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eRA eXchange client (local server)

• Based on HERMES
• Full service ebMS message handler
• Open source, fully distributable
• eRA enhancements
• Simplified API to send and receive messages
• Configured to connect to eRA Exchange
• Registry interface
• eXchange interface
• 2 Step message intake for large payloads
• Queues to buffer messages and protect business
  systems

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eXchange Business Services

• Integration with the eRA eXchange client
• Message payload processors
• Interface with eRA database and business systems
• Pluggable XML-driven data persistence
• PDF document handling and generation
• next XML-driven versioning and validation
• next Rules engine integration (DROOLS)

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Rule Driven Transaction Handling
Transaction Delivery Handling
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Match Transaction Type to Rule-base through
enveloping
6
Persist Rules for SQL
Delivery
1
Oracle API
Structure validation
Business Rules
Triggers
SQL tables
5
SQL commands
4
2
3
Application
XML content
XML-based error outputting
XSD schema
Result logging
Dynamic Structure rules
Email notifications
Rule Driven Error Reporting
Structure sub-components with includes allows
re-use
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Error Logging
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Rule Components
Transparency
CAM
Single Controlling Integrated XML Script
Structure
2
Transaction Delivery
Match Transaction Type to Rule-base through
enveloping
DROOLS
1
Rules
CPA pairs
3
Persist Rules for SQL
X-DB
Table Updates
Config
Structure validation
Business Rules
4
XSLT
Error Output
SQL commands
4
2
3
5
XML-based error outputting
Result logging
Open Public Specification Open Source
Dynamic Structure rules
Email notifications
Rule Driven Error Reporting
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Error Logging
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Linkage Between Messaging and CPA

• Messaging envelope contains
• Sender name
• Service / Action names
• Sender CPA id value
• Receiver CPA id value
• Optional certificate
• CPA validation contains
• CPA id lookup to registry
• Verifies sender
• Verifies valid Service / Action pairs for this
  partner
• Coupling from Service / Action to transaction
  validation
• Coupling from Service / Action to backend
  delivery
• Verify certificate

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Role of the Registry for eRA
Information Dissemination to all Trading Partners

• Trading partner management
• Registration of trading partners with NIH
• Authorization to do e-business with NIH
• Authentication integrated with COMMONS
• Simplified management of CPAs
• Self service management of SP capabilities
  certifications
• Metadata management
• All XML schemas for transactions
• All trading partner capabilities (including all
  of NIH services)
• Definition of data elements in each transaction
• Instructions, documentation, and other
• Version management of objects in registry

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Timelines

• Schedule of Deliverables

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eXchange Project Planning
Grants.gov interfacing
WSDL Hermes
Rules Engine
2000 Grant Apps
Hermes client
Business Semantics Versioning
Registry Integration
Self-test
Self- Installer Certification
Automated provisioning
Metadata Partner Profiles
APR
MAY
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
2006
2005
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Opportunity Summary

• Lessons learned Technology Metrics

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Lessons Learned

• Providing self-service facilities is key to rapid
  adoption
• Infrastructure exists today off-the-shelf to
  create pre-built templates for industry domains
• Using open specifications allows integration into
  wide range of environments
• Open source solutions allows partners to readily
  obtain technology
• Use of CPA id to manage partners and versioning

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Technology Metrics

• Create infrastructure that can support large
  communities via registry-managed control
  mechanisms
• Provide simple integration for external partners
  by providing open source solutions as base-line
• Supports commercial tools that implement ebMS
  V2.0 and web services
• Built-in methods that allow centralized control
  over rules, versions, and delivery routing
• Reasonable security without being overly
  inhibiting to adoption
• Complete integrated audit trail logging
• Using existing specifications and toolsets
• Proven technology with wide adoption and
  reference deployments

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Opportunities

• Provide infrastructure for application across a
  broad cross section of related agency and
  departmental areas
• HHS - Cancer Research Centers
• CDC Emergency Alerting systems
• Navy Medical Services coordination
• FEMA Emergency supply chain delivery
• DHS Intra-agency information sharing
• EPA External regulatory reporting
• NSF National Science Foundation Grants

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Q A

• Discussion

AC-Technologies For more information Visit our
Website http//www.ac-tech.com
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Project Resources

• NIH eRA Project site http//era.nih.gov
• NIH Grants site - http//era.nih.gov/ElectronicRec
  eipt/
• Commons online site https//commons.era.nih.gov/
  commons/
• Grants.gov online site http//www.grants.gov/Get
  Started

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Software Components

• Open Source components
• Hermes freebXML ebXML messaging server
• OMAR freebXML Registry system
• jCAM content assembly mechanism and validation
  component with versioning capability
• Oracle database server
• Tomcat Server
• Technology Specifications (ISO15000)
• - http//ebxml.org
• - http//oasis-open.org
• - http//ebxmlbook.com/interop/

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Technology Resources

• www.freebXML.orgwww.ebxml.orgwww.oasis-open.or
  gwww.ebxmlbook.com/interop www.ebxmlbook.com/b
  enefitswww.ebxmlforum.org