I am hoping we can review the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM -
www.niem.gov)and see if the data dictionary (objects, entities and
definitions) could potentially be adopted as part of the RIM...I have a lot
more information on this - I'll try to put something together.
Thanks,
Lee
'We the unwilling, led by the unknowing have been doing the difficult with
little for so long that we are now ready to tackle the impossible with
nothing.' -- Local Fire communications reserve volunteer motto
-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Lake [mailto:]
Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 12:29 PM
To: Rex Brooks; Renato Iannella; Karen Robinson
Cc:
Subject: RE: [emergency] EDXL-Reference Information Model
Hi Renato:
IS there somewhere a list of the types of things (objects/entities) to
be covered by the Reference Information Model? A classification of these
objects/entities?
Cheers
Ron
-----Original Message-----
From: Rex Brooks [mailto:]
Sent: March 25, 2007 9:21 AM
To: Renato Iannella; Karen Robinson
Cc:
Subject: [emergency] EDXL-Reference Information Model
Hi Renato, Karen,
I'm writing to get the task of building the EDXL Reference
Information Model started (EDXL-RIM). The TC voted last week to make
this a priority and to spend a large proportion of the upcoming
Face-to=Face meetings at the OASIS Symposium 2007 on establishing
Scope and Requirements. I volunteered to work with you to build a
EDXL Framework or Skeleton document from which we can work in the
meeting to get this effort underway. We are scheduling these
discussion for Afternoon in San Diego, California so that, hopefully,
you can participate as much as possible. I will also be attending via
teleconference, so I expect the pace will necessarily have to
accommodate us. While it is not optimal, it is doable.
I am attaching the Requirments Specification Template as a place to
start. I know my own initial impetus is the same that I consistently
warn other groups about. I feel like I know enough about this family
of specifications from having been involved with it from the start
that I can just jump in and start reeling off requirements, and I
will certainly be making initial suggestions.
However, I think we should eat our own cooking, so I am going to
start with the need to establish clear scope and requirements. I
would like to avoid the temptation to start diagramming information
classes and relationships between these classes for the time being at
least.
Although I am attaching my bare-bones start of a Requirements
Specification, I am including a first pass at the first text section:
**************************
Document Scope and Purpose
This document states the Functional Requirements for the overall
family of Emergency Data Exchange Language specifications. As such,
these requirements should be formulated as the abstract principles
which govern the enumerated elements within the individual
specifications.
For Instance, the Emergency Data Exchange Language Distribution
Element 1.0 Specification (EDXL-DE.Spec_v1.0) specifies <targetArea>
for geospatial or political area with specific information regarding
the originator's intent with regard to the routing of an EDXL message.
It used a naming convention with an initial lower camel case letter
that has since been replaced a convention that uses an initial upper
camel case letter. This document should explicitly state the broad
naming and design rules that have been adopted.
Moreover, the EDXL-RIM SHOULD define the concept of <TargetArea> or
<Area> as an abstraction that can be used for the EDXL-DE or the
EDXL-Resource Messaging (EDXL-RM) specifications, or any future EDXL
specifications. Such a definition SHOULD be sufficently broad and
abstract to allow the basic concept to be used consistently across
the spectrum of EDXL specifications. As such, this requirements
specification SHOULD NOT include as a requirement the most concrete
level of information, such as the originator's intent or specifically
that both geospatial and political MUST be included because that
would not be true for the element <TargetArea> in EDXL-RM that does
not include political information nor an area defined by intent.
**************************
I don't want to go any further than this right now. I would like to
set up a time for a teleconference with you if I can so we can add
just enough to the Requirements document to use as a Framework to
channel discussion in the Face to Face meeting. We need to have the
TC's input.
Hopefully we can decide which SC should carry this work forward.
While the Messages and Notification SC has handled the EDXL family so
far, I am fairly sure we will see a specific sponsored recommendation
coming from the Infrastructure TC which will fall within EDXL as
well, so it is a decision that needs to be taken carefully. However,
since we have championed this concept for a while, we should help get
it launched in the best way we can.
Regards,
Rex
--
Rex Brooks
President, CEO
Starbourne Communications Design
GeoAddress: 1361-A Addison
Berkeley, CA 94702
Tel: 510-849-2309
