EbXML

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Electronic Business using eXtensible Markup Language, commonly known as e-business XML, or ebXML (pronounced ee-bee-ex-em-el, [i'bi,eks,em'el]) as it is typically referred to, is a family of XML based standards sponsored by OASIS and UN/CEFACT whose mission is to provide an open, XML-based infrastructure that enables the global use of electronic business information in an interoperable, secure, and consistent manner by all trading partners.

Contents

The ebXML architecture is a unique set of concepts; part theoretical and part implemented in the existing ebXML standards work.

The ebXML work stemmed from earlier work on ooEDI (object oriented EDI), UML / UMM, XML markup technologies and the X12 EDI "Future Vision" work sponsored by ANSI X12 EDI.

The melding of these components began in the original ebXML work and the theoretical discussion continues today. Other work relates, such as the Object Management Group work and the OASIS BCM (Business-Centric Methodology) standard (2006).

Conceptual overview of ebXML architecture

While the ebXML standards adopted by ISO and OASIS seek to provide formal XML-enabled mechanisms that can be implemented directly, the ebXML architecture is on concepts and methodologies that can be more broadly applied to allow practitioners to better implement e-business solutions.

A particular instance is the Core Components Technical Specification (CCTS) work that continues within UN/CEFACT, whereas its cousin - UBL - Universal Business Language - specification is used within OASIS that implements specific XML transactions by applying the principles of CCTS to typical supply chain transactions such as invoice, purchase order, ship notice and so on.

History

ebXML was started in 1999 as a joint initiative between the United Nations Centre for Trade facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) and Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS). A joint coordinating committee composed of representatives from each of the two organizations led the effort. Quarterly meetings of the working groups were held between November 1999 and May 2001. [1] At the final plenary a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the two organizations, splitting up responsibility for the various specifications but continuing oversight by the joint coordinating committee.

The original project envisioned five layers of data specification, including XML standards for:

All work was completed based on a normative requirements document and the ebXML Technical Architecture Specification.

After completion of the 6 specifications by the two organizations, 5 parts of the work were submitted to ISO TC 154 for approval. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has approved the following five ebXML specifications as the ISO 15000 standard, under the general title, Electronic business eXtensible markup language:

OASIS technical committees and UN/CEFACT retain the responsibility for maintaining and advancing the above specifications.

Collaborative Partner Profile Agreement

Collaborative Partner Profile Agreements are XML based documents specifying a trading agreement between trading partners. Each trading partner will have their own Collaboration Protocol Profile (CPP) document that describes their abilities in an XML format. For instance, this can include the messaging protocols they support, or the security capabilities they support. A CPA (Collaboration Protocol Agreement) document is the intersection of two CPP documents, and describes the formal relationship between two parties. The following information will typically be contained in a CPA document:

Messaging Service Specification

The Message Service Specification (ebMS) describes a communication-neutral mechanism Message Service Handlers (MSH) must implement in order to exchange business documents. ebMS3.0 is the current version of the specification. ebMS3.0 is built as an extension on top of the SOAP with Attachments specification. The SOAP message contains the meta-data required to exchange the business document in a secure and reliable manner, while the business payload is attached to the SOAP message. Multiple business payloads may be attached to a single message, and the format of the payloads is beyond the scope of the ebXML specifications. The information trading partners place in ebMS messages is largely dictated by the CPA agreement that defines the relationship between them. The following information is typically contained within ebMS messages:

ebMS is communication protocol neutral, although the most common underlying protocols are HTTP and SMTP.

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards is a nonprofit consortium that works on the development, convergence, and adoption of open standards for cybersecurity, blockchain, Internet of things (IoT), emergency management, cloud computing, legal data exchange, energy, content technologies, and other areas.

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UN/CEFACT's Modeling Methodology, commonly known as UMM is a modeling methodology which is developed by UN/CEFACT - United Nations Center for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business.

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Business-to-Business (B2B) Gateways integrate data from back-end systems, enabling information exchange across trading partners. B2B Gateways also provide a centralized point for transformation of multiple data sources through interoperability standards such as XML, cXML(Commerce XML) and EDI. B2B Gateways provide businesses an e-commerce platform for integrating with key suppliers and customers quickly and easily. The platform is often a component of a company's Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) architecture. Other capabilities of the B2B Gateway include trading partner management and security control. B2B Gateways help to bridge the collaboration gap across the supply chain partners and transform the data flow between companies from a batch oriented manner into a real time process. This streamlines the processing and enables for business activity monitoring(BAM) systems to be implemented, which provides the enterprise with greater visibility and proactive control over the applications. B2B Gateways continue to be in high demand for organizations of every size.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Webber (computer scientist)</span> American computer scientist

David R.R. Webber is an Information technologist specializing in applications of XML, ebXML and EDI to standards-based information exchanges. He is a senior member of the ACM since 2007. David Webber is one of the originators of the ebXML initiative for global electronic business via the internet. He is holder of two U.S. Patents for electronic information exchange transformation and those patents are now cited widely by 37 other patents. David Webber has implemented several unique groundbreaking computer solutions in his career including the world's first airport gate scheduling system , the SeeMail email client for MCIMail written in Prolog, the patented GoXML system for XMLGlobal, the ShroudIt obfuscation system for LNK Corp, and the VisualScript tool for Smartdraw Inc.

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GS1 EDI is a set of global electronic messaging standards for business documents used in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). The standards are developed and maintained by GS1. GS1 EDI is part of the overall GS1 system, fully integrated with other GS1 standards, increasing the speed and accuracy of the supply chain. Examples of GS1 EDI standards include messages such as: Order, Despatch Advice, Invoice, Transport Instruction, etc. The development and maintenance of all GS1 standards is based on a rigorous process called the Global Standard Management Process (GSMP). GS1 develops its global supply chain standards in partnership with the industries using them. Any organization can submit a request to modify the standard. Maintenance releases of GS1 EDI standards are typically published every two years, while code lists can be updated up to 4 times a year.

Christopher (Chris) Ferris is a computer scientist, best known for co-leading the Hyperledger Fabric project where he chaired the Technical Steering Committee from 2016 to 2018 and was a member of the Governing Board of the foremost blockchain project of the Linux Foundation. Hyperledger has been one of the fastest-growing open community projects, with over 200 corporate and associate members. Ferris has a history of open-source software contributions to other technologies, including web services and cloud. Ferris is currently an IBM Fellow, and CTO Open Technologies.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Naujok, Klaus-Dieter (21 August 2003). "UN/CEFACT Announces Successful Completion of ebXML Standards Work" (Press release). Geneva, Switzerland: OASIS (XML Cover Pages). Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  2. ↑ ISO 15000-2:2021
  3. ↑ ISO 15000-2:2021
  4. ↑ ISO/TS 15000-3:2004
  5. ↑ ISO/TS 15000-4:2004
  6. ↑ ISO 15000-5:2014

Sources

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