Registry Services Bringing Value to US EPA States

Registry Services Bringing Value to US EPA, States, and Tribes Exchange Network Vendors Meeting April 24, 2007 Cynthia Dickinson EPA/OEI/OIC Data Standards Branch Chief 1

Purpose Å To outline a new approach to registries based on Service Oriented Architecture Å To show the registries can be used during project implementation metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 2

Overview ¿ The Future: SOA ¿ Terminology Management Services ¿ Code Set Management Services ¿ Enterprise Architecture Support Services ¿ Quality Assurance Services ¿ Managing Change ¿ Ensuring Success ¿ Appendix A: Data Standards Services ¿ Appendix B: Semantic Vision for the Registries metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 3

The Future: SOA Å US EPA and its partners are moving toward seamless machine to machine data transactions to increase accuracy, efficiency, reliability, and reduce cost Å Registries support: ¿ Terminology management services ¿ Code set management and translation services ¿ Enterprise architecture services ¿ Quality assurance ¿ Change management metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 4

Terminology Management Services Å Current services ¿ ¿ ¿ Å Future services (Summer 2008) ¿ ¿ ¿ Å Access to environmental terms and definitions Repository and support for stewards managing environmental term sets such as glossaries, taxonomies (hierarchies), keyword lists, or thesauri (operational April 16) Create new terminology structures (such as glossaries) from existing terms Automated download and update of term sets from Environmental Terminology System and Services (ETSS) to any system or web page (support for refresh of web-displayed glossaries will be first) New front end for EPA and partners to retrieve terminology (currently in design phase) Collaborative area and support services for communities of interest developing term lists and taxonomies Vision ¿ Storage and maintenance of ontologies to support future semantic development in the IT industry metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 5

Code Set Management Services Current services ¿ Easy access to code sets/value sets related to data standards and other commonly used lists in the Substance Registry System (SRS) and the Facility Registry System (FRS) ¿ As of February 2007 Enhanced SRS allows exchange and management of federal and state chemicals with substance web services for: ¢ Discover and compare (single substance query) ¢ Load (submit new substances that are in SRS but not in programmatic list) ¢ Maintain system accuracy (solicit bulk loads to refresh programmatic systems) Å Future services ¿ Enhanced user front end for SRS and reporting capability (by November 1) ¿ New Environmental Data Registry (EDR) will allow code set management and mapping for program offices and EN partners ¿ Web services for translation between code sets traveling on the Exchange Network Å metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 6

Code Set Management Services (cont. ) Business need for managing multiple code set values ¿ States and Tribes have their own “environmental interest” values ¿ US EPA has its “environmental interest” values ¿ Use value meaning as connector reduce mappings (Case 3) State A State B Tribe A State B Tribe A EPA EPA Tribe B Case 1 - Undesirable metadata State C Tribe B Case 2 – Limited Use terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets Tribe B Case 3 - Solution facilities program system data 7

Cross Reference Between Code Sets Via Value Meaning for Environmental Interest US EPA Value Connecticut DEP Value Facilities classified as a Clean Air Act Stationary Source Major discharger of air pollutants according to the Alabama power decision's definition of a major source or the 1993 EPA Compliance Monitoring Branch Classification Guidance. Air Major Title V Stationary Sources Facilities classified as a CAA Stationary Source Minor discharger of air pollutants. Air Minor GPLPE Environmental programs that maintain a national emission inventory which characterizes emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAPS). HAPS, which are also known as air toxics, are defined in Section 112(b) of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Hazardous Air Pollutants Inventory HAPS The EPCRA program providing the public with knowledge of and access to information regarding the use, storage, production, and release of hazardous chemicals to the environment, and encourages and supports response planning for environmental emergencies. EPCRA Tier II Reporting (Part of Facility Identification Standard) metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 8

Enterprise Architecture Support Services Å Current services ¿ ¿ Å Locate US EPA systems/applications in the Registry of US EPA Applications and Databases (READ) Access to Exchange Network XML schema (XML Registry) Future services (late 2008) ¿ Find US EPA system/application data dictionaries in EDR ¿ Enhanced compare tool will allow developers to find: ¢ ¢ Å Similar data elements across US EPA systems US EPA data elements that match Exchange Network data standards Vision ¿ Service Component Registry and Repository (SCRR) metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 9

Service Component Registry and Repository (SCRR) An integrated vehicle for outreach and discovery of different types of reusable system components designed by US EPA and Exchange Network partners Å Registry (and sometimes repository) for: Å ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Å Web services Reusable software designs and templates Metadata and data services XML data flows and shared schema components Other data flows Data models (conceptual, logical, physical) Reusable pieces of code, in various languages Development models and guidance, such as the Core Reference Model (CRM) Will leverage existing registries and repositories (UDDI, ENDS) and may add new ones. Requirements effort beginning by June. metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 10

Quality Assurance Services Quality assurance oversight for registration Å Improved stewardship processes (built into the new registries) – data maintained by people that know it best. Oversight by others. Å Automated quality review of metadata – increasing dependence on web services Å Maintenance of: Å ¿ ¿ ¿ Å Authoritative source of chemicals and facility information for US EPA Authoritative US EPA system inventory Comprehensive catalog of XML schema for Exchange Network use Other related quality services ¿ ¿ CDX Schematron for program system business rules Generic XML document parsing service metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 11

Managing Change Å Shifting from operating registries to delivering services Å Transferring stewardship to those responsible for the data while improving quality assurance Å Identifying cost recovery/avoidance opportunities Å Increasing the emphasis on SOA Å Addressing business needs for classifying information metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 12

Ensuring Success This approach will allow US EPA and its Exchange Network partners to better – Document and store; – Identify and locate; – Translate and use; and – Enable integration of environmental information for all users metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 13

Services Enabled by Registries Service Registry EDR READ ETSS SRS and FRS XML/ SCRR Enterprise Architecture Support Data Standards Code Set Management Terminology Management Quality Assurance metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 14

Appendix A Data Standards Services metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 15

Data Standards Services Development - Collaborative process ¿ Standards development procedures and processes enable partners to develop standards collaboratively. ¿ ENLC approves all data standard development initiatives and products. ¿ Action teams of subject matter experts are convened to develop the standards. ¿ Public comment is solicited. Subject matter experts also review. Comments are resolved by action teams Å Maintenance - Periodic or as needed ¿ Standards are reviewed periodically or when users request changes ¿ Some standards may include standardized code sets (these changed as new codes become available or in response to user requests) ¿ ENLC approves changes Å metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 16

Data Standards Services (cont. ) Å Access - Information about EN data standards is available as: ¿ ¿ Å Text documents on Environmental Data Standards Council (now superseded by the ENLC) website at http: //www. envdatastandards. net Also available as data elements within the US EPA Environmental Data Registry at http: //www. epa. gov/edr Support for Implementation – ¿ ¿ ¿ ECOS and US EPA staff are available to answer questions about standards and assist developers implementing standards Implementation guidance is specific to each state, tribe, or US EPA is offering a training course in Data Standards Implementation (EN partners are welcome to attend) metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 17

Appendix B Semantic Vision for Registries metadata terms data sets substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 18

System of Registries Semantic Vision XML Registry XML Schema XML Tags Environmental Data Registry Data (EDR) Reference and Data Models Code Sets Data Dictionaries Standards Data Element Names and Definitions System Ontologies Data Element Concepts, Value Meanings and Relationships Controlled Vocabularies Terms terms data sets Thesauri Classification Schemes (Taxonomies) Black – Current Capability Red – Future Capability metadata Environmental Terminology System Business and Area Services Ontologies (ETSS) substances XML value domains applications data sets facilities program system data 19