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Subject: RE: [emergency] EDXL/CAP Survey
Happy to see another vendor speak up, Winnie.
Middleware used to push information to and out of silo'd
systems is exactly what we and other vendors are implementing.
GJXDM for up/down translation is fine. However, if by reference
it includes multiple vocabularies unrelated directly to the records
management systems (eg, police and fire records), then a smart
vendor takes exception because that constrains the development
contractually in areas that are either not ready for prime time
or too far in design from the systems that have to be integrated.
Sharing data through standardized schemas is fine. However, the
mission critical systems are real time: start with the dispatch
systems. That is the critical point of failure. For example,
does DHS or DoJ consider the IEP the means or method of Dispatch
to Dispatch communications in multi-system coverage events? Where
is that documented?
OTW, exporting and importing data for non-near real time systems
is easy. What GJXDM does in theory is to prevent all of these
from being point-to-point data designs although it will be some
time before that is realistic for more than the hub and spoke
implementations (say a data warehouse). Pushing data is easy
and we do that now. GJXDM offers no problems in that regard
other than being verbose and difficult to teach.
We've implemented it too for sharing. We welcome it for that use.
A roll-out plan would certainly be welcomed but I think that
has to be planned with the public safety vendors in the room.
len
From: Winfield Wagner [mailto:wwagner@crossflo.com]
Sorry to jump into the discussion but I had to respond to some of the points
made about the GJXDM. My name is Winfield Wagner and I just jointed your TC
as an Observer. I don't know if there is rule that Observers should be seen
not heard but I must argue some points this time.
I agree that GJXDM could be a big honking middleware if it is implemented
incorrectly. Thinking in terms of replicating every column of every
database in most of the current legacy systems in one-off schemas that have
a lot of extension to meet every unique element of the participating sharing
agencies is not a good idea.
If you think in terms of sharing 95% of the information through standardized
schemas that have no extensions, we could accomplish the goal of sharing a
big chunk of information between agencies, domains and levels of government
and public sector.
As far as performance, I can not argue the fact that using GJXDM slows down
everything. At the same time a delay in obtaining information seems to be a
little sacrifice for getting to information that I never had or would take
hours, days and week to get.
I believe GJXDM was meant to be a transport mechanism that allowed silo-ed
systems to share information not to replace existing database structures or
query applications. Yes it can be used for that but we just to need to
think in terms of sharing at a crawl before we start sprinting.
I argue that it can be implemented; because my company has. We have been
able to demonstrate with our Regional Information Sharing and Intelligence
Project that GJXDM can be implemented for real world problems. We were able
to distribute information from multiple regional and local sources to a
single intelligence analysis tool. In my schemas, I use pure GJXDM with no
extensions that can represent 95% of the information needs of over 8
difference agencies' representation of a Field Interview.
As far as cost, it is much cheaper then maintain custom code for every data
exchange point and if done correctly can reduce costs associated with the
hard document exchanges that exist today.
Is GJXDM ready for prime time? Not yet but it is not going to go away. It
may mutate into the NIEM but criminal justice community has accepted it.
That acceptance is not based on federal dictum but on a bottom up acceptance
that we need to share information. I have been in the criminal justice
information business for 25 years and it is the first time I have seen
agencies making a business argument on the benefits of sharing. That was
self evident at the first GJXDM user conference held last week. Over a two
day period, we picked up 15 separate leads/opportunities and one contract
proposal related to GJXDM installations. The next day we were notified of
three separate RFP's requiring the use of GJXDM.
I am not advocating the use of GJXDM for the Emergency Management domain. My
only experience is in the area of law enforcement so I can not tell you the
benefits and problems with using GJXDM in that domain. But do not think
GJXDM is going away. It will have an impact on emergency services and how
it communicates with other domains.
So as an observer and deemed by the voting member of the TC, I will go back
in my hole and watch from the sidelines.
Thank you for you time
Winnie
Winfield J. Wagner
Director of Integrated Justice Information Systems
11995 El Camino Real
Suite 302
San Diego, CA 92130
http://www.crossflo.com
Office Phone: 858.724.2216 Ext. 237
Fax: 858.724.7224
Cellular: 858.525.1447
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