Massachusetts CJIS-XML Architecture Page 1 Copyright © 2005, xFact, Inc. Prepared by xFact, Inc. Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts CJIS-XML Architecture:

Massachusetts CJIS-XML Architecture

Page 1Copyright © 2005, xFact, Inc.Prepared by xFact, Inc.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Massachusetts CJIS-XML Architecture: A Service-Oriented Architecture for Delivering CJIS Content as GJXDM-Based XML

Presented By:- The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

(Executive Office of Public Safety and the

Criminal History System Board)

- xFact, Inc.

Global Justice XML Data Model Users ConferenceJune 9th, 2005 | Atlanta, Georgia




Agenda and Introductions

• Objective of this presentation– Describe how Massachusetts is using an SOA, Web Services, XML and the

GJXDM to deliver CJIS content to agencies and users– Provide details about the architecture and implementation of the Massachusetts

“CJIS-XML” project– Offer “real world” examples of how Massachusetts is leveraging the GJXDM, as

well as lessons learned during the implementation and roll-out of the project

• Speaker introductions– James F Slater III

• CIO, Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety (EOPS)

– Curt Wood• Deputy Director, Massachusetts Criminal History Systems Board (CHSB)

– Amit Banerji & Greg Phoenix• xFact, Inc.




Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety (EOPS) and Criminal History Systems Board (CHSB)

• Commonwealth's joint ICJIS vision:– Share critical information electronically at key points throughout the justice enterprise – the

right information, to the right people, at the right time, and in the right format.

• Key ICJIS business & technical drivers:– Improve quality, consistency, accessibility, and reliability of information– Promote more effective decision making– Streamline business processes to save costs, time, and resources– Enable the sharing of information “anywhere, at any time”– Support a diverse, open standards technology environment– Help compile metrics for evaluating system effectiveness– Provide flexible designs that can adapt to changing needs

• Continuous progress in business and technology enable new ways to address the ICJIS mission and vision

– Federal and State information sharing initiatives (OJP, GJXDM, Global, etc.)– Open standards and technologies (Web Services, XML, SOAP, etc.)




• Commonwealth is working to evaluate and further develop an ICJIS vision

– Initially created the “Mass. Justice XML” data dictionary, based on GJXDM 2.0

– Implemented a pilot SOA to provide “XML-ized” CJIS content to vendors of mobile systems (via Web Services)

• CHSB was able to serve as a more flexible provider of pure CJIS content

• Vendors were quickly able to provide value-added services using the SOA

• Vendors competed on the basis of their value-added service using content from CJIS, and users ultimately received better services

– Birth of CJIS-XML• The success of the pilot SOA led to an increased demand to provide more CJIS content

via Web Services and XML

• EOPS/CHSB developed a formal business and technical strategy to implement the beginnings of a production SOA using XML, GJXDM 3.0, Web Services, and SOAP

• The release of GJXDM 3.0 required updates to portions of the “Mass. Justice XML” data dictionary

Massachusetts Movements Towards GJXDM and SOA using Web Services, SOAP, and XML




CJIS XML Architecture: Overall Description and Architecture

• CJIS-XML is the implementation of a basic SOA to exchange CJIS data as GJXDM-based XML documents via Web Services

• Key goals of the CJIS-XML architecture– Simple to use and develop against– Standardized and open methods for development, implementation, and integration– Expandable to integrate new functionality (CJIS transactions or data exchanges)– Conform to GJXDM 3.0– No Web Services bloat or API complexity– Synchronous and asynchronous methods of access– Available to a diverse range of technology platforms (Java, .Net, C++, etc.)

• CJIS-XML architecture today– Single Web Service acts as the only public interface– Approximately 35 CJIS transactions are available, along with a handful of agency-to-agency

CJIS data exchanges (CHSB, Parole, DOC)– Individual GJXDM-based schemas for each implemented transaction or exchange– Standardized method for adding new “modules” (currently written in Java) to accommodate

additional CJIS functionality– Both query and update transactions have the same semantic interface




CJIS XML Architecture: Core Characteristics

CHSB Web App& Web Service

Runtime Environment(CJIS-XML)

ServiceRequestors

ServiceProviders

InformationProducers

CJIS Workstation Police Cruiser Police Handheld SOAP ServerSOAP Client

CJIS Mainframe

CJISProcessingModule (1)



“N” Number ofModules

CJIS RelationalDatbases

External CJISDatabases or

Systems

CJIS-XML Service Handler

HTTP(S) orXML SOAP

over HTTP(S)

XML

Native DataAccess

• Centralized Web Service (WS) that manages requests and responses within the SOA

• CJIS-XML WS accepts and returns well-formed XML request and response documents

• The CJIS-XML Service Handler layer interprets requests and passes them to individual processing modules to perform transaction-specific business logic

• New processing modules can be readily integrated into CJIS-XML to leverage the underlying SOAP/XML infrastructure and delivery framework




CJIS XML Architecture: Input Transaction Processing

• All CJIS-XML transaction requests invoke the CJIS-XML WS

• Transaction names and parameters are embedded in the XML request/response document

• CJIS-XML loads/executes the appropriate processing module for the transaction

• Each type of CJIS transaction has its own processing module

Web ServicesRuntime

Environment

CJIS-XMLWeb Service


TransactionProcessingModule (1)


TransactionProcessing

Module (N...)

CJIS-XMLTransaction Requests

(1...N)

CJIS-XML Request Process




CJIS XML Architecture: Output Transaction Processing

• Each processing module generates a well-formed XML response

• Requestors (web service clients) then retrieve (or receive) responses from the CJIS-XML WS

CJIS-XML Response Process

Web ServicesRuntime

Environment




TransactionProcessing

Module (N...)

CJIS-XMLTransaction Requests

(1...N)

CJIS-XMLWeb Service




CJIS XML Architecture: XML Request Transaction Description

• Request transaction has header and body element

• Header contains meta data about the transaction

• Header information is the same for all transactions

• Body contains the data that is exchanged

• Body will be different for each transaction




CJIS XML Architecture: XML Response Transaction Description

• Response transaction has header and body element

• Header contains meta data about the transaction

• Header information is the same for all transactions

• Body contains the data that is exchanged

• Body is different for each transaction




Example of the CJIS-XML Request and Response Process (Asynchronous)

• CJIS-XML requests and responses are made using well-formed XML via SOAP over HTTP

• In the asynchronous request/response model:

– The CJIS-XML Web Service receives requests from clients

– CJIS-XML clients must retrieve responses to their own requests

• A complete transaction is made up of multiple steps:

– Query request– Return message– Retrieval request– Query Response

Query Request

Return

Query Response

RetrieveClient CJIS-XML

Web Service




How MA CJIS XML is Being Used Today

• Integration with Massachusetts CJIS web-based applications– Web apps readily obtain GJXDM-based CJIS information (via web

services) for display in record check, firearms, booking, inmate processing, and motor vehicle applications

• Utilized by “Mobile Data Vendors” who provide vehicle-based and/or PDA CJIS applications to state and local law enforcement agencies

• Agency-to-agency CJIS data exchanges– MA CHSB and MA Parole exchange Parolee and Victims data

– MA CHSB and MA DOC exchange Offender release data

– Other agencies in development (Courts, Sex Offender Registry Board)




MA CJIS XML and GJXDM Benefits Observed

• Timely and efficient CJIS information sharing; enhanced public safety– Information that was “always there” now more effectively available– Real world results: crimes solved, offenders located, etc.

• Use of open- and standards-based technologies easily accommodated a diverse technology environment and range of agencies/users

• A common set of standards and single point of entry/access helps to maintain CJIS data integrity and controlled access to CJIS data

• OJP GJXDM and “Global” concepts promote standardized inter- and intra-agency data exchanges and a more easily managed effort to share data

• A single, well-specified API and set of XML schemas fostered an easy and rapid development cycle by programmers using the environment

• Open standards and/or API stimulates competition among participating vendors to help the State gain the best value for services and products




Lessons Learned and Future Plans

• Lessons learned:– Keep things simple and agile– Have an active governance structure and change management process in place– Understand how to effectively navigate the GJXDM and create schema subsets– Have a mechanism to handle schema and data dictionary updates in a graceful

manner– A widespread understanding of metadata (and how to use it) is still being absorbed

by vendors, agencies, and developers using XML– XML is sometimes advertised as an easy and flexible way to integrate systems,

but in real life it seemed a bit more challenging than all the ad’s and bullet points suggest!

• Future plans:– Completion of an ICJIS Strategic Implementation Plan to guide future efforts– Potential participation and integration with the XML RAP Sheet, NLETS XML

transactions, and the CANDLE project– Continue to track and evaluate technologies such as RDF, OWL, and Registries




Question and Answer Session

• Your questions, comments, and feedback are greatly appreciated

• Thank you for attending!

James F Slater III

MA EOPS

[email protected]

Curt Wood

MA CHSB

[email protected]

Amit Banerji

xFact, Inc.

978.821.3214

[email protected]

Greg Phoenix

xFact, Inc.

617.834.5041

[email protected]

Documents

Massachusetts CJIS-XML Architecture Page 1 Copyright © 2005, xFact, Inc. Prepared by xFact, Inc. Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts CJIS-XML Architecture: