XML Daily Newslink. Monday, 05 February 2007

[Robin Cover <robin@oasis-open.org>]

XML Daily Newslink. Monday, 05 February 2007
A Cover Pages Publication http://xml.coverpages.org/
Provided by OASIS http://www.oasis-open.org
Edited by Robin Cover

====================================================

This issue of XML Daily Newslink is sponsored by
IBM Corporation  http://www.ibm.com

====================================================

HEADLINES:

* Emergent Concepts in SOA: XML Feeds and Aggregated Web Services
* Unstructured Data: Reading Between the Lines
* On the Role of ebXML and Web Service Protocols
* ChainBuilder ESB Leverages JBI
* OGC Invites Participation in Ocean Science Interoperability Experiment
* XForms as an RSS Reader/Editor
* Shrinkwrap Licenses: An Epidemic of Lawsuits Waiting to Happen

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Emergent Concepts in SOA: XML Feeds and Aggregated Web Services
Gboyega Sanni, IBM developerWorks

The realization of a service-oriented application is a hybrid process
that is still evolving.  Due to the development of specifications such
as XML, XSL style sheets, RSS, WSDL, SOAP and BPEL, there is an
increased opportunity to realize a service-oriented application through
integration and aggregation. In this article, we will introduce an
emerging concept that may help readers develop such an application based
on a new terminology called layered aggregated Web services (LAWS) via
XML development by specifications. This new terminology will be used
to develop a calendar feed product. LAWS are a collection of Web services
acting as layers in aggregating diverse XML specifications together.
LAWS arose out of a need to realize a calendar feed as a reusable object
using XML specifications. Initially a simple calendar XML specification
was developed, then layers of additional aggregate XML specifications
were added over time. As such, the core idea of this article is more
about the development of XML and XSL specifications than of
programming/scripting for the purposes of realizing a layer of a Service
Oriented Architecture. The article presents VirtuaWOX Calendar Feed
1.0 -- a layered aggregated Web services using XML. XML development by
specifications simply means that the flow of XML specifications are
conceptualized through one or more business interaction diagrams and
later implemented as services. A calendar feed is an aggregated
collection of news feeds. Several emergent service-oriented concepts
are introduced, such as the realization of service-oriented applications
as a type of product development process, layered aggregated Web services,
XML development by specifications, reusability benchmarking of service
oriented objects, service-oriented factory pattern, sub-layering,
service-oriented locking, and caching. As a result, there are many
possibilities for realizing 'seamless' Service Oriented Architectures
by building layers and layers of services. The XML development by
specifications in a layered Service Oriented Architecture also has the
advantage of ensuring that a service development team to specify the
requirements via a business interaction diagram before scripting or
programming the service.

http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-soa-aggws/

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Unstructured Data: Reading Between the Lines
Joseph Rozenfeld, DM Review Magazine

This article examines some of the challenges BI practitioners face in
addressing unstructured data and proposes a new set of requirements
for the next generation of BI technology designed to overcome these
challenges.  Structured data has become synonymous with relational data,
while unstructured data is commonly associated with file servers and
document management systems. But what about data that falls right in
between: unstructured data that has started on its evolutionary path
but has not made it all the way to completely structured? Data in this
state of flux is often referred to as "extensible data." Extensible
data is unstructured data in the state of transition to a structured
form. XML data, HTML pages, PDF documents and email messages, HTTP
traffic and clickstream data, search results and application log files
are all examples of extensible data. This is the haggling data
discussed earlier. There is significant value in tapping into
extensible data, with many critical application areas that stand to
benefit. New analytic platforms are being introduced to the market
that use XML as a common layer to dramatically reduce system complexity
while offering functionality that cannot be achieved by traditional BI
technology. These open, XML-based architectures can combine data from
nonrelational sources with traditional transactional systems or data
warehouses to provide an unprecedented view into what is driving
business performance. XML-based analytics technology has already been
embraced by early adopters, particularly in areas that generate large
amounts of extensible data, such as contact centers. Using an XML-based
analytic platform operating directly on unfiltered log data, they were
eventually able to determine that AHT was increasing because their
agents were spending more time up-selling customers as part of an
ongoing promotion. This type of insight would not have been possible
using existing BI or reporting technology.

http://www.dmreview.com/article_sub.cfm?articleId=1075145
See also OASIS UIMA TC: http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/uima/

----------------------------------------------------------------------

On the Role of ebXML and Web Service Protocols
Mikkel Hippe Brun, UBL-DEV Posting

"I was personally one of the promotors of using ebMS in the VAN
infrastructure in Denmark. The National IT and Telecom Agency
facilitated a process, where the VAN-operators developed the ebMS
profile, and we were very happy with the outcome. ebMS is a simple
and easy to read spec. However: we have not chosen to go with ebXML
in the public sector for a number of reasons. (1) We had CBDI analyze
and compare ebXML and the WS-* standards; see "The Role of ebXML and
Web Service Protocols." The PDF contains a Danish introduction but
the rest is in English. The report emphazises that the WS-* standards
has more traction and vendor support than ebXML. (2) We asked the
industry and the public sector in Denmark to come up with business
requirements for an infrastructure. We also asked them about their
preference in regards to the choice of standards. We made it clear
that the easy choice (from a technology viewpoint) would be to go
with ebXML. The feedback we got was that they wanted us to follow the
WS-* road rather than an ebXML road because large suppliers like BEA,
IBM, Microsoft and Oracle were supporting the WS-* stack of standards
and the resolution of interoperability issues in WS-I. Denmark is
part of the NES group and discussions about infrastructure is also
an important part of the collaboration. We have spent considerable
time on discussing how we ensure that messages can flow freely between
different network infrastructures (i.e., and ebXML framework and a
WS-* based framework). It is our goal that it should be possible to
exchange UBL messages across borders and between networks. Sweden
has been using an ebXML infrastructure and now Denmark is building
an WS-* infrastructure. Denmark has a strong PKI infrastructure and
Sweeden does not. None of this matters because the establishment of
gateways will ensure that messages can flow freely. We are currently
establishing gateways to the VAN-operators such that UBL messages
will be able to flow between the networks..."

http://xml.coverpages.org/ebMS-VAN-Infrastructure.html
See also UBL-based eProcurement: http://xml.coverpages.org/NES-UBL-eProcurement.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------

ChainBuilder ESB Leverages JBI
Paul Krill, InfoWorld

Bostech on Monday [2007-02-05] announced general availability of
ChainBuilder ESB, an enterprise service bus tuned for Java Business
Integration (JBI) and SOA.  Featured in the product is a graphical user
interface for configuring JBI-compliant components via a drag-and-drop
capability. Users also can accommodate non-XML message formats such as
X12 EDI. The ChainBuilder ESB Component Flow Editor allows for users
to lay out an SOA and view all integration components. Layout is done
via an Eclipse IDE interface. Run-time components can be controlled in
a production environment through an AJAX-based (Asynchronous JavaScript
and XML) Web interface that also features statistics and runtime logs.
ChainBuilder is ESB is available either via a common GPL (GNU General
Public License) or via a subscription featuring training, support and
a warranty. A commercial license is available in situations where GPL
is not available or for users who do not release source code for their
applications.  From the product features list: "Component Flow Editor
is the heart of designing ChainBuilder components through Eclipse IDE,
and includes a project wizard that guides developers through component
properties definitions. Message Format Editor is a graphical user
interface that constructs an XML-based Message Definition Language
(MDL) that is used by the Parser Service Engine to parse CSV/variable,
fixed and heirarchial messages. X12 Editor is a graphical user
interface that allows for the modification of existing X12 message
formats or the creation of new X12 formats for use by the Parser
Service Engine. Map Editor is a graphical user interface that constructs
an XML-based Transformation (TRN) Language that is used by the
Transformation Service Engine to transform proprietary message formats
into XML."

http://weblog.infoworld.com/tcdaily/archives/2007/02/chainbuilder_es_1.html
See also the web site: http://www.chainforge.net/chainbuilder/

----------------------------------------------------------------------

OGC Invites Participation in Ocean Science Interoperability Experiment
Staff, OGC Announcement

In January 2007, the Open Geospatial Consortium Inc. (OGC) launched an
Interoperability Experiment on Ocean Science. The initiators of the
experiment seek participation by other organizations interested in
interoperability among information systems used in ocean research. The
Oceans Science Interoperability Experiment will promote understanding
of various OGC Web Service (OWS) standards now implemented in various
portal applications in the Ocean-Observing community, advance
interoperability demonstrations for Ocean Science application areas,
and harden software implementations. The final product of the experiment
will be a candidate OGC Best Practices document for the broader
ocean-observing community. The Best Practices document will show how
to use OGC specifications in marine-specific applications to improve
discovery, access and use of Web-accessible ocean science data and
services. The OGC members acting as initiators of the Interoperability
Experiment are: (1) Southeastern Universities Research Association
(SURA); (2) Texas A&M University - Academy for Advanced
Telecommunications (TAMU); (3) The National Centers for Atmospheric
Research (NCAR) (Voting); (4) The Monterrey Bay Aquarium and Research
Institute; (5) GoMOOS (Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System.
Organizations that wish to participate and that can meet the
Requirements for Participation described in the Oceans Science
Interoperability Experiment Activity Plan should notify the OGC before
February 15, 2007 of their desire to participate.

http://xml.coverpages.org/OGC-oceansie.html
See also Geography Markup Language (GML): http://xml.coverpages.org/geographyML.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------

XForms as an RSS Reader/Editor
Nicholas Chase, IBM developerWorks

RSS, Atom, and other syndication strategies involve making XML data
available for download. XForms, which is designed to view and edit XML,
is the perfect environment for an XML editor and reader. This article
explains how to create an XML reader and editor using XForms. The
article assumes that you are familar with the basics of XForms and at
least one syndication format such as RSS. The article uses RSS 1.0, but
the concepts are the same for not only any version of RSS, but also Atom
and any other XML-based format. The code was tested using Mozilla
Firefox with the XForms extension, but the concept should work in any
XForms-capable browser. he idea is to create a page that enables the
user to request a specific feed to read based on its URL, displaying its
information on the page. The page also includes a button that lets the
reader switch to an editor. The editor enables the user to change
existing information, add a new item, delete existing items, and save
the feed -- assuming that you have the appropriate permissions. The
first step is to create the basic page that enables the user to specify
a feed to read. To do that, start with a basic XForms form, embedded in
an XHTML page. You also need a way for the user to specify the feed
with which he or she wants to work. Fortunately, you can take advantage
of how XForms works to accomplish this task. You're probably already
aware of how changing a value in one XForms control can lead to the
browser automatically displaying new information somewhere else. What
you might not know is that the XForms processor reacts that way to
virtually any change. For example, you can create a form that
automatically changes the value of the instance element's 'src'
attribute.  XForms provides an excellent basis for editing RSS, Atom,
and other XML-based syndication formats. In a production application,
you will also need to determine the version of the feed at hand and
alter your forms accordingly.

http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-xformsrssreader/
See also XML and Forms: http://xml.coverpages.org/xmlForms.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Shrinkwrap Licenses: An Epidemic of Lawsuits Waiting to Happen
Cory Doctorow, InformationWeek

Anybody who bothered to read a clickwrap or shrinkwrap agreement would
never install any software, click on any link on the Web, open an account
with anyone, or even shop at many retail stores. The terms of these
agreements are onerous and ridiculous. We go along with the gag because
we think nobody's paying any attention. But somebody's going to start
paying attention soon, and when they do, the results will be disastrous
for the electronic economy. So far, very few of us have been really
bitten by EULAs, but that's because EULAs are generally associated with
companies who have products or services they're hoping you'll use, and
enforcing their EULAs could cost them business. But that was the theory
with patents, too. So long as everyone with a huge portfolio of unexamined,
overlapping, generous patents was competing with similarly situated
manufacturers, there was a mutually assured destruction -- a kind of
detente represented by cross-licensing deals for patent portfolios. But
the rise of the patent troll changed all that. Patent trolls don't make
products. They make lawsuits. They buy up the ridiculous patents of
failed companies and sue the everloving hell out of everyone they can
find, building up a war-chest from easy victories against little guys
that can be used to fund more serious campaigns against larger
organizations. Since there are no products to disrupt with a countersuit,
there's no mutually assured destruction.

http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=197003052

----------------------------------------------------------------------


XML Daily Newslink and Cover Pages are sponsored by:

BEA Systems, Inc.         http://www.bea.com
IBM Corporation           http://www.ibm.com
Innodata Isogen           http://www.innodata-isogen.com
SAP AG                    http://www.sap.com
Sun Microsystems, Inc.    http://sun.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Newsletter subscribe: xml-dailynews-subscribe@lists.xml.org
Newsletter unsubscribe: xml-dailynews-unsubscribe@lists.xml.org
Newsletter help: xml-dailynews-help@lists.xml.org
Cover Pages: http://xml.coverpages.org/

----------------------------------------------------------------------