JOINING UP GOVERNMENTS EUROPEAN

COMMISSION

Technical aspects of the federation of semantic assets repositories

Virtual Meeting - 27 January 2012

Agenda

2

1 Background on ADMS and federation of semantic asset repositories

How to join the federation step-by-step

Introduction to mapping to ADMS

2

3 Proposed solutions for ADMS protocol 4

Next steps 5

Agenda

3

1 Background on ADMS and federation of semantic asset repositories

How to join the federation step-by-step

Introduction to mapping to ADMS

2

3 Proposed solutions for ADMS protocol 4

Next steps 5

Semantic Interoperability Assets

Due to a large number of

technical standards (TS) many

problems are currently solved

Semantic IOP assets is the

equivalent to TS at the

semantic layer

TS are IOP agreements at the

technical IOP level

We define Semantic Interoperability Assets as highly reusable metadata (e.g. xml

schemata, generic data models) and reference data (e.g. codelists, taxonomies,

dictionaries, vocabularies) which are used for eGovernment system development

Semantic Assets Repositories

• Joinup: >500 reusable semantic assets

• Joinup is not a one-of-kind infrastructure anymore

• National initiatives to create repositories/libraries/catalogs of

metadata standards

• Standardization bodies and third party initiatives generate valuable

and highly reusable specifications

How could we promote reuse at a European level?

The need for federation

How could we promote reuse of semantic assets at a

European level?

… by enabling a federation of semantic assets

repositories

– Cross-querying and discovery should be supported

– Respect the autonomy of each repository

How to federate?

… by using common semantics to describe a “semantic asset”

We need a common schema for assets description

Asset Description Metadata Schema (ADMS)

Asset Description Metadata Schema

Alternative Name : Text [0..*]Date of Creation : Date [0..1]Date of Last Modification : Date [1..1]Description : Text [1..*]ID : URI [1..1]Identifier : String [0..*]Keyword : Text [0..*]Name : Text [1..*]Version : String [0..1]

Asset

Access URL : URL [1..*]Date of Creation : Date [0..1]Date of Last Modification : Date [0..1]Description : Text [0..*]ID : URI [1..1]Name : Text [0..*]

Release

0..1

Repository origin

0..*Domain

0..*Language

0..*Subject

0..*Release

1..1Licence

1..1Format

1..1

Status

1..1 Status

0..* Documentation

0..* Included item

0..* Publisher

0..* Spatial coverage

0..*

Publisher

0..1 Repository origin

Related asset [0..*],Previous version [0..1],

Next version [0..1],Current version [0..1],

Translation [0..*]

0..*Publisher

0..*Domain

Access URL : URL [1..*]Date of Creation : Date [0..1]Date of Last Modification : Date [1..1]Description : Text [1..*]ID : URI [1..1]Name : Text [1..*]

Repository

0..* Sample

Code : Code [1..1]ID : URI [1..1]

Asset Type

0..1

Interoperabilitylevel

1..*Asset type

ID : URI [1..1]Label : Text [1..*]

Included Item

ID : URI [1..1]Title : Text [1..*]Type : Code [1..*]

Documentation

Code : Code [1..1]ID : URI [1..1]

Domain

ID : URI [1..1]

Example Asset

Code : Code [1..1]ID : URI [1..1]

File Format

ID : URI [1..1]Label : Text [1..*]

Geographic Coverage

Code : Code [1..1]ID : URI [1..1]

Interoperability Level

Code : Code [1..1]ID : URI [1..1]

Language

ID : URI [1..1]Label : Text [ 1..*]Type : Code [1..*]

Licence

ID : URI [1..1]Name : Text [1..*]Type : Code [1..*]

Publisher

Code : Code [1..*]ID : URI [1..1]

Status

ID : URI [1..1]Label : Text [1..*]

Subject

Content : String [1..1]Language : Code [0..1]

Text

String

Date

URI

URL

Code

0..*Spatial coverage

ADMS Working Group

• Broad Participation

– Member States

– EU institutions

– Standardization bodies

– External experts/academia

• W3C facilitation and methodology

• Currently the specification is available in UML, XML, RDF formats for

public review at https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/asset/adms/release/08

Next Steps

• By June 2012:

– Prepare the final ADMS v1.0 after the public comments period

– ADMS endorsement by Member States (ISA Coordination Group?)

– Deploy the first federation “wave” via Joinup by June 2012. Candidate

repositories:

• MSs repositories: Digitaliser.dk, RIHA (EE), Xrepository (DE),

yhteentoimivuus.fi

• Third parties repositories: GS1, International Commission on Civil Status,

Listpoint, OASIS, W3C

• Joinup (ex-SEMIC.EU), CELLAR

Next Steps

• After June 2012:

– On-board more repositories

– Promote the federation in the MSs

– Promote the actual reuse of available assets

– Start analysis for identifying alignment needs and opportunities

– Continue and conclude (?) discussions with standardization bodies for

the sustainability of the ADMS specification

Purpose of the meeting

• We should conclude on the followings:

– Who participates in the first wave

– With which resources (SIAs to be identified in broader collections of

IOP assets)

– Technical Architecture for the federation

– Detailed planning for:

• Having the participating repositories ready to join the federation by (?)

• Having the technical specifications for the implementation at the

Joinup.eu side available by end March 2012

– How we document and share all implementation experience (wiki?)

Agenda

13

1 Background on ADMS and federation of semantic asset repositories

How to join the federation step-by-step

Introduction to mapping to ADMS

2

3 Proposed solutions for ADMS protocol 4

Next steps 5

FINDIDENTIFYSELECT

OBTAINLINK

DISCOVER

FEDERATION

Semantic asset repository

Semantic asset repository

Semantic asset repository

Semantic asset repository

Semantic asset repository

Semantic asset repository

Public administrations

Businesses

Standardisation bodies

IT Industry

Academia

Member State

Member State

Standardisation Body

Standardisation Body

International Organisation

International Organisation

WAVE 1 in

June 2012

Objective

KICK-OFF MAPPING EXPORT TRANSMIT

March (estimated to 1 day)

March (estimated to 5 days)

March / April (estimated to 10 days)

May (estimated to 1 day)

As from June (update)

- Explain ADMS and

the ADMS protocol

- Planning of next

steps

- Map your

repository’s internal

data model to ADMS

- Develop a tool to

export your semantic

assets metadata to

ADMS in XML or RDF

- Submit your ADMS

compliant file to

Joinup using the

ADMS protocol

- Submit updates to

your ADMS file to

Joinup

FEDERATED

1 2 3 4 5

How to join the federation in 5 steps

Agenda

16

1 Background on ADMS and federation of semantic asset repositories

How to join the federation step-by-step

Introduction to mapping to ADMS

2

3 Proposed solutions for ADMS protocol 4

Next steps 5

Asset Description Metadata Schema

Alternative Name : Text [0..*]Date of Creation : Date [0..1]Date of Last Modification : Date [1..1]Description : Text [1..*]ID : URI [1..1]Identifier : String [0..*]Keyword : Text [0..*]Name : Text [1..*]Version : String [0..1]

Asset

Access URL : URL [1..*]Date of Creation : Date [0..1]Date of Last Modification : Date [0..1]Description : Text [0..*]ID : URI [1..1]Name : Text [0..*]

Release

0..1

Repository origin

0..*Domain

0..*Language

0..*Subject

0..*Release

1..1Licence

1..1Format

1..1

Status

1..1 Status

0..* Documentation

0..* Included item

0..* Publisher

0..* Spatial coverage

0..*

Publisher

0..1 Repository origin

Related asset [0..*],Previous version [0..1],

Next version [0..1],Current version [0..1],

Translation [0..*]

0..*Publisher

0..*Domain

Access URL : URL [1..*]Date of Creation : Date [0..1]Date of Last Modification : Date [1..1]Description : Text [1..*]ID : URI [1..1]Name : Text [1..*]

Repository

0..* Sample

Code : Code [1..1]ID : URI [1..1]

Asset Type

0..1

Interoperabilitylevel

1..*Asset type

ID : URI [1..1]Label : Text [1..*]

Included Item

ID : URI [1..1]Title : Text [1..*]Type : Code [1..*]

Documentation

Code : Code [1..1]ID : URI [1..1]

Domain

ID : URI [1..1]

Example Asset

Code : Code [1..1]ID : URI [1..1]

File Format

ID : URI [1..1]Label : Text [1..*]

Geographic Coverage

Code : Code [1..1]ID : URI [1..1]

Interoperability Level

Code : Code [1..1]ID : URI [1..1]

Language

ID : URI [1..1]Label : Text [ 1..*]Type : Code [1..*]

Licence

ID : URI [1..1]Name : Text [1..*]Type : Code [1..*]

Publisher

Code : Code [1..*]ID : URI [1..1]

Status

ID : URI [1..1]Label : Text [1..*]

Subject

Content : String [1..1]Language : Code [0..1]

Text

String

Date

URI

URL

Code

0..*Spatial coverage

Mappings

Mapping template

Preparations to be made for next meeting:

• Map to ADMS concept / property / relationship

• Map to ADMS (advised) controlled vocabularies

Decisions to be made next meeting:

• Minimum set of properties and relationships

• Minimum set of controlled vocabularies that must be respected

• XML and/or RDF

• URIs and/or codes

Agenda

19

1 Background on ADMS and federation of semantic asset repositories

How to join the federation step-by-step

Introduction to mapping to ADMS

2

3 Proposed solutions for ADMS protocol 4

Next steps 5

Overview – Key objectives

20

• A single entry point for all the asset metadata of the federation

• Minimal implementation burden for local repositories

• You will keep control over your assets metadata

What do we want to achieve?

• 4 solutions for different technical maturity levels

• Open for a Multi-channel approach

• Possibility to adapt to the needs of local repositories

What do we propose?

• Input on your requirements/constraints

• Comments and feedback on our solutions

• Suggestions for other possible solutions

What do we expect from

you?

Solution 1 – Rest Web Services

Central Repository

Local Repository

Local Repository

Local Repository

Central Repository collects and stores all the asset description metadata coming from the local repositories

Local repositories decide which asset description metadata to send and when (e.g. weekly, nightly)

Asset description metadata are sent in ADMS format

Centralized Architecture Pattern – Push Strategy

Solution 1 – Rest Web Services

Web Service

Client

Local repository

Mapping

Tool

REST

Web Service

Central repository

Database Database

1. Asset metadata are exported from the database to the ADMS format

2. The web service client sends the ADMS data to the Central Repository

calling the REST Web service via an HTTP call. A Java client will be given

to you. .Net client is also an option.

3. The central repository’s Web Service are checked by the REST Web

Service

4. Asset metadata are stored in the local repository’s database

Solution 2 – E-mail

E-mail generation

Local repository

Mapping

Tool

Manual or

automated e-mail

processing

Central repository

Database Database

• After the export to the ADMS format, the ADMS file is sent via

e-mail to the central repository

• The e-mail with the attached ADMS file can be sent manually by

the local repository administrator to a known mail box

• It can be automatically generated and send at fixed time

(e.g. every night or every week)

Solution 3 – Harvesting

Central Repository

Local Repository

Local Repository

Local Repository

Publish/Subscribe Strategy

Central Repository will harvest the lists of asset description metadata from the local repositories

Local repositories will publish on their web page the ADMS files to be collected by the central repository

Asset description metadata are published in ADMS format

Solution 4 – Upload on Joinup

• Asset description metadata files are uploaded on the central

repository using JoinUp web user interface:

• ADMS format will be accepted. In this case, you will have to

convert your asset metadata into the ADMS format before

uploading.

• Possibility to upload spreadsheets (e.g. ODS) containing asset

description metadata. The spreadsheet template will be given

to you. The mapping to ADMS will be done by JoinUp.

Summary – Pros and cons

27

Solution Pros Cons Notes

Solution 1 -

REST Web

Services

• Fully automated

• Client provided by

DIGIT

• Higher

implementation

effort

Recommended in the

mid/long-term

Solution 2 -

E-Mail

• Minimum

implementation

effort

• Manual procedures

are required

• Lower integration

Recommended for the

first wave

Solution 3 -

Harvesting

• No communication

protocol needs to

be implemented on

local repository side

• Requires higher

availability of local

repository systems

Recommended for

non-centralized

architectures

Solution 4 -

Upload on

JoinUp

• No communication

protocol needs to

be implemented

• Mapping to ADMS is

not needed for

spreadsheets

• Manual procedures

are required

• Lower integration

Recommended for the

first wave

Agenda

28

1 Background on ADMS and federation of semantic asset repositories

How to join the federation step-by-step

Introduction to mapping to ADMS

2

3 Proposed solutions for ADMS protocol 4

Next steps 5

Next steps

• Meeting on ADMS mapping

• Collect from you your business / technical constraints

• Your input (comments, suggestions) on our solutions!

• Converge to an agreed technical architecture in order to start the

implementation

30

Vassilios Peristeras

DG DIGIt, ISA Unit

vassilios.peristeras@ec.europa.eu

Thank you!

Technical aspects of the federation of semantic assets repositories