Copyright OASIS, 2001 ebXML: Moving Forward - Technical Overview Patrick Gannon President & C.E.O. OASIS

Copyright OASIS, 2001

ebXML: Moving Forward- Technical OverviewPatrick Gannon

President & C.E.O.

OASIS


ebXML enables anyone, anywhere

to do businesswith anyone else over the Internet


ebXML Provides a Standard Way to:

• Exchange business messages

• Conduct trading relationships

• Communicate data in common terms

• Define and register business processes


ebXML History

• Begun as 18-month initiative in November 1999

• Specifications delivered on schedule in May 2001

• Developed in an open process by more than 4500 participants representing 2000 organizations in 150 countries on virtually every continent


• United Nations Center for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business

• Developers of EDIFACT

• One of four organizations in the world that can set de jure standards

• World’s largest independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the standardization of XML applications

• More than 400 members in 26 countries


What does ebXML do?

• Lowers the cost/complexity of electronic business

• Facilitates global trade and puts SMEs and developing nations in the picture

• Expands electronic business to new and existing trading partners

• Converges current and emerging XML efforts

• Eliminates dependence by supporting any language, any payload, any transport


ebXML Specs--Modular Suite

• Technical Architecture

• Business Process

• Registry and Repository

• Collaboration Protocol Profile and Agreement

• Message Services

• Core Components


ebXML: Built on Existing Standards

• HTTP

• TCP/IP

• MIME

• SMTP

• FTP

• UML

• SOAP

• XML


The ebXML Technical The ebXML Technical ArchitectureArchitecture


ebXML Architecture

Package

Retrieval of Profiles & new or updated ebXML Models

TransportBiz ServiceInterface

Biz ServiceInterface

Internal Bus App Shrinkwrap App

Repository

Implementers

Business Process and Information Models

Build

Registration

TPA

UML to XML conversion

Build

Retrieval of New or Updated ebXML Models

ebXML Transport

Retrieval of ebXML Specifications & Models


Usage Example

3 Build System

Specifications

Profiles

Scenarios

Request ebXML specification

1

4 Register company profile

Query about Company X

5

Request Company X’s S

cenario

9

DO BUSINESS!

11

Send Company X’s Scenario

10

ebXML BP Model

ebXML BO Library

Send Company X’s Profile

6Submit TPA7

TPA Accepted8

Send ebXML specification 2


ebXML Technical Framework


ebXML Business Operational View

Business Knowledge


BuildCore Components &

Core Processes

Lexicon

Activity Diagrams

Analysis Artifacts

Sequence Diagrams

Conceptual ClassDiagrams

Collaboration Diagrams

Design Artifacts

State Diagrams

Final ClassDiagrams

Use Cases Diagrams

Requirements Artifacts

Use Cases Description

Library

Business Objects &Business Processes


ebXML Functional Service View

Registry Service Interface

Payload

Business ServiceInterface

Business ServiceInterface

InternalBusiness App

Shrink-wrappedApplication

Registry

Implementers


Build

Registration

TPA

UML to XML conversion

Retrieval of ebXML Specifications & Models

Build



Registration RegistrationTPP

ebXML metamodel XML content

TPP

Registration

TPA Governs

TPP Derives


Transformation Rules

UML ProfileMetamodel

UML ProfileSpecification

ProductionRules

XML Schema

UMLMethodology

UMLPatterns

XMLClassification

Scheme

XML ContentInstances


ebXML metamodel in a staged approach

• You may use TRP section without the rest

– To exchange your own message structures via TRP

• You may use Information section without the rest

– To define message structures to be used in some other TRP

• You may use Process section without the rest

– You may optionally define contract semantics of a process

• You may use Market section without the rest

– To create an independent set of yellow or white pages

• Or: - Use all of them to reach the full vision of ebXML


Trading-Partner Agreement

Mission• Define a specification for creating

the IT part of a partner profile and a TPA, which is a combination of two partner profiles

TPA• IT configuration file, specifies only

things that TRP messaging service can manage and enforce

• No business information• Derive from BP metamodel


Trading-Partner Agreement

Possibilities

Capabilities

Agreements


Business Process

Business Operational Map

Business Category Business Process

Business Requirements View

Partner Type Business Collaboration

Agreement

Economic Resource

Business Transaction View

Business Service View

Role Business Transaction

Request Document

Response Document

Business Service Service Transaction

Request Message

Response Message


Create Long Term Contract

Forecast Component Requirements

Send Planning Document

Place Order

Ship Materials

Customer

Arrange Payment

Supplier

Domain: Matl Mgmt

Industry: Auto •Ship NoticeRegulatory: Safety

Change Lvl

Container

Serialized ID

ProdId

Part Number

Ship’d Qty

Context Core Components


Core Components

LEXICON LIBRARYRole Role

Business Document

Business ProcessesCore Processes

Core Components Business Objects


Registry & Repository

Repository

Registry

SECURITY LAYER

POINTS AT

API

BusinessApplication Interface

HumanInterface

PUBLISH TO

ebXML specification

Schemas TPP

Objects w. MetaData

Reference Content


Registry & Repository

Content

XML Content ReferencingAccess Index

Registry

Interface Information Model

Associated References

Registration of Domain

Classification & Ownership

ebXML conformant XML object

Collections & Versioning

TransportLayer

Request Response

Detail Constraints

Industry DomainBusiness Process

Details Content

Action Status

Remote ebXMLRegistry

Registry Service InterfaceOther Registry

Service Interface(s): UDDI, CORBA

Compatibility Wrappers

Registry Services

Repository

Access Syntax in XML


Transport Envelope

Message Envelope

Header

HeaderPart

HeaderPart

HeaderPart

...

Payload

MessagePayload Part

MessagePayload Part

MessagePayload Part

...

MessageManifest

MessageHeader

ErrorMessage

...

e.g. HTTP or SMTP

MIME

An XML documentinside a MIME

Body Part

Each Header Partis a top level

element within anXML Document

Either:• a single MIME

body part, or• a multi-part MIME

message

<EdNote>It is likely that additional HeaderParts will be specified in later versions of

this specification </EdNote>

Messaging Services


Now that ebXML specs are available...

• Do I have to choose between EDI and ebXML?• How does ebXML fit into web services?• How does ebXML work in relation to other standards

such as UDDI, SOAP…?• Who’s implementing ebXML now? • Is ebXML going to replace industry specific

vocabularies? • Can I implement some ebXML specs and not others?• What’s next?


Do I have to choose between EDI and ebXML?


“ebXML is not a replacement for EDI. Large companies that have spent billions developing EDI systems can run those in parallel with ebXML. ebXML allows large companies to trade with smaller partners who don’t have EDI.”


No business communicates No business communicates solely in its supply chainsolely in its supply chainEDI • Limited to large

organizations• High cost-of-entry• Rigid message sets• Used by 5% of

enterprises outside the Fortune 1000

ebXML• Takes advantage of

cheap Internet technology

• Built on EDI experience with input from EDI community

• Preserves EDI investment

• Designed for the other 95%


How does ebXML fit into web services?


“ebXML, SOAP and XHTML have emerged as technologies likely to provide the foundations for future Web services.”


Web Services

• Step 1: Description

– WSDL

– ebXML CPP Spec and ebXML Business Process Spec

• Step 2: Publication and Discovery

– UDDI

– ebXML Registry Spec

• Step 3: Invocation

– SOAP over HTTP

– ebXML Messaging Spec integrating SOAP, HTTP


WSDL and ebXML CPP

WSDL provides:

Service nameService parameters Endpoint for

invocation

ebXML CPP provides:

Service nameService parameters Endpoint for

invocationRole of an

organization in the context of a service

Error-handling Failure scenarios


WSDL and ebXML BP

WSDL identifies

Business processes

ebXML BP identifies

Business processes Roles an organization

must playMessages being

exchanged


“ebXML and UDDI are likely to end up as complementary solutions in E-business systems... UDDI should help accelerate the integration of systems used in marketplaces, while ebXML aims to standardize how XML is used in general business integration.”


“Although ebXML does not rely on the UDDI service registry, instead providing one of its own, it does not exclude interoperability with UDDI, making it possible for businesses to locate ebXML-ready services through UDDI registries. Because ebXML goes beyond UDDI to include key data for building b-to-b partnerships and transactions, there's a clear advantage to its use.”


UDDI and ebXML Registry Spec

UDDIBasic identification Industry

classificationTechnical capabilities

ebXML Registry SpecBasic identification Industry

classificationTechnical capabilities Search capability Retrieval of objects in

corresponding repositories

NOTE: ebXML offers a way to use UDDI to locate ebXMLregistries http://www.ebxml.org/specs/rrUDDI.pdf


ebXML Messaging Spec and SOAP

• ebXML uses SOAP with Attachments, wrapping XML SOAP format in MIME envelopes

• MIME envelopes allow SOAP/ebXML messages to include non-XML content such as digitized images or programming code as attachments


An Important Distinction

SOAP, UDDI, WSDL• Developed by a small

group of vendor companies

ebXML• Developed in an open

process by more than

4500 participants representing 2000 organizations in

150 countries on virtually every continent


Who’s implementing ebXML now?


Backed by Vendors


Is ebXML going to replace industry specific vocabularies?


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


ebXML Adoption Making Headlines

• RosettaNet Adopts ebXML in RNIF• Covisint (GM, Ford, Daimler-Chrysler)

Supports ebXML for Automotive Industry• OpenTravel Alliance Specs Recommend ebXML • Open Applications Group Integrates ebXML into

182 Business Transaction Standards

• Global Commerce Initiative (GCI) Adopts ebXML in Data Exchange Standard for B2B Trade in Consumer Goods


“Unlike the general category of Web services, which has seen its share of vendor adaptation, ebXML has been successful in attracting the support of industry heavyweights across all industries.”


Backed by Industry Groups

The Open Healthcare Group


“We've got to pound a stake in the ground and move forward. ebXML is the stake we've chosen.”

Jeff CrippsDirector of Industry RelationsCovisint(eBusiness exchange founded by General Motors, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler)


What’s next?


ebXML Work Continues

• OASIS UN/CEFACT ebXML Coordination Cmte • OASIS UN/CEFACT ebXML Marketing Team• OASIS UN/CEFACT ebXML Tech Architecture• OASIS ebXML Collaboration Protocol Profile TC• OASIS ebXML Implementation/Interoperability TC• OASIS ebXML Messaging Services TC• OASIS ebXML Registry TC• UN/CEFACT e-Business Transition Ad hoc WG

(eBTWG)


What do I need to remember about ebXML?


ebXML Moving Forward

• ebXML specs are complete and publicly available.• ebXML integrates SOAP and seeks convergence with

other standards.• ebXML is being adopted by standards groups around

the world including RosettaNet, GCI, Covisint, OAGI, OMG, OpenTravel Alliance, HL7…

• ebXML products are being announced daily by companies that include Bind Systems, XML Global…

• UN/CEFACT and OASIS jointly support ebXML.


Get involved in ebXML

• Download the specs from www.ebxml.org• Join OASIS • Subscribe to ebXML-DEV mail list • Review public archives of OASIS ebXML

TC work• Encourage your industry group to adopt

ebXML specifications in standards• Specify ebXML-compliance from

providers


“With its long list of provisions, from security and messaging to workflow processes and QoS (quality of service) agreements between trading partners, ebXML is shaping up to provide the most comprehensive way to advance e-business integration.”


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


www.ebxml.org

Documents

Copyright OASIS, 2001 ebXML: Moving Forward - Technical Overview Patrick Gannon President & C.E.O. OASIS