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A New Enterprise Data Management Strategy for the U.S. Government: Support for the Semantic Web and Semantic Technology

Brand Niemann,Senior Enterprise Architect, U.S. EPA and Web 2.0 (Wiki)/Web 3.0

(Semantic Web) Community LeaderApril 14, 2008

http://semanticommunity.wik.is/People/Brand_Niemann/2008_Semantic_Technology_Conference

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Abstract

• At the recent W3C / WSRI "Toward More Transparent Government Workshop on eGovernment and the Web," it was stated that U.S. Government data is not readily accessible to search engines and reuse projects and that major government data projects need an enterprise data architecture for funding. The Federal Semantic Interoperability Community of Practice (SICoP), established by a group of individuals for the purpose of achieving "semantic interoperability" and "semantic data integration" focused on the government sector, is working on both of these problems in the Federal Sitemaps Initiative and by participation in the follow-on W3C "Workshop on RDF Access to Relational Databases."

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Abstract

• SICoP is recommending A New Enterprise Data Management Strategy for the U.S. Government based on:– The premise of reusing the data and information

rather than changing the data systems themselves.– Putting the business and technical rules, logic, etc.

into the data itself using markup languages.– The concepts and standards of the Semantic Web

(also called the Data Web or Web 3.0).

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Abstract

• The most important tenets of the reuse are: – Bringing the data and the metadata back

together.– Bringing the structured and unstructured data

and information back together.– Bringing the data and information description

and context back together.

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Abstract

• SICoP is looking for partners to work with Federal Government data and metadata sources. SICoP would welcome the participation of the Semantic Universe in working with government data sources in the following basic ways:– Individual participants working with multiple data

sources (e.g., GovTrack.us).– Multiple participants working with multiple data

sources (e.g., Open Data Community).– Individual and multiple participants piloting Semantic

Wikis and Semantic Desktops.

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Overview

• 1. History: 2007 SemTech• 2. Context• 3. Enterprise Mashups• 4. 2008 SemTech• 5. Vision and Implementation• 6. Pilot Data Sources• 7. Questions & Answers• Bio

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1. History: 2007 SemTech

• Community of Practice Session:– U.S. Federal Government (Open to All).

• Semanticommunity.net: Community Infrastructure (slides 10 & 23).

• Conference Session (Panel of 3):– Spectrum of Reasoning and Applications.

• A New Enterprise Data Management Strategy for the U.S. Government: Support for the Semantic Web and Semantic Technology (slide 29).

• Conference Session (Team of 2):– Advanced Intelligence Community R&D Meets the Semantic

Web!• Semantics for Net-Centric Operations (slide 24).

• Keynote (Panel of 7):– Accelerating the Deployment of Semantic Technology.

• Getting to Web Semantics for Spreadsheets in the U.S. Government (slide 27).

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2. Context• January 7, 2008, Blog: Speaking the same language, Government

Computer News. (Launch of Our Space).• February 5, 2008, SICoP Special Conference 4: Building Semantic

Interoperability Applications for Information Sharing and Integration, Computer Science Corporation Executive Briefing Center, Falls Church, VA.

• March 19, 2008, Getting to SOA and Semantic Interoperability for DoD Architectures.– March 19, 2008, DoDAF 3.0: A Web 2.0 and SOA Mashup! (March ??,

2009) (a bit of humor)• March 29, 2008, Data Architecture Subcommittee:

A Knowledgebase with Implications for EPA Data Architecture.• April 30-May 1, 2008, 5th SOA for E-Government Conference:

– Theme: Our Space - Connecting Web 2.0, Enterprise Mashups, SOA, and the Semantic Web for Government 2.0 (Making It Easier to Do!).

– Like the 2008 SemTech: Building the Next Generation of SOA with Semantics!

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2. ContextOrganization Name Conferences

Zepheria Eric Miller SICoP C5

Wright State University Amit Sheth SICoP SC4

DERI Stefan Decker SOA CoP C4

BAH (SAIC) Sam Chance and others SOA CoP C4

Starbourne Communications

Rex Brooks SOA CoP C4 & C5

Semantic Arts Dave McComb SOA CoP C2

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2. Context

http://semanticommunity.net/

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2. Context

Source: Mills Davis, Four Stages of the Web at http://project10x.com/about.php

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2. Context

• Some basic functionalities of Web 2.0 Wikis:– Author like Word– Edit/comment on every page– Some level of security for every page– Tagging– Versioning– Watchlist– RSS/XML between applications– Search– etc.

• Doing data models (ontologies) in Web 3.0 Semantic Wikis (see next slide).

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For the Best Presentation at the3rd SOA for E-Government Conference, May 1-2, 2007,

at The MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA.

Special RecognitionMichael Lang, Revelytix

SOA in Semantic Wikis: A Story About Communication

Federal CIO Council’s Service-Oriented Architectures Community of Practice (SOA CoP)

Produced in Collaboration With

By SOA CoP Co-Chairs, Greg Lomow, Bearing Point & Brand Niemann, US EPA

SOA CoP Best Practices and Architecture & Infrastructure Committeesof the Federal Chief Information Officers Council

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3. Enterprise Mashups

• Enterprise Mashups are application hybrids combining content and functions from more than one existing source to create powerful Web applications, integrated Web experiences and expanded customer value networks.

• Mashups are created by combining internal sources such as enterprise data with external Web resources such as Google Maps.

• Mashups are created when different application program interfaces (API) are combined or 'mashed' to create an entirely new application.

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3. Enterprise Mashups

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3. Enterprise Mashups

• Mashups are the fastest growing enterprise ecosystem on the Web by far. Mashups are social, role-based, network-centric, complex, distributed and essential to all knowledge-based networks, models and businesses.

• They are a critical method to enhance customer experience, to drive productivity growth (innovation) and achieve fundamental advancements in knowledge economy competitiveness. Customers, employees, suppliers and other stakeholders gain enormous benefits using enterprise mashups to create new applications and expanding customer value networks.

• Open Enterprise 2.0 Mashup Summit: Expanding Customer Value Networks– http://www.vncluster.com/muny.htm

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3. Enterprise Mashups

Recall that George Thomas referred to this.

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3. Enterprise Mashups

http://semanticommunity.wik.is/Best_Practices/Enterprise_Mashup:_A_Practical_Guide_to_Federal_Service_Oriented_Architecture

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3. Enterprise MashupsPGFSOA Topic (1)

AIC (2) DoD (3) NCIOC (4) OMG (5) SOA CoP

SICoP (6)

Audience Chief Architects, CIOs, etc.

Agency & Coalition Partners

Open Membership & Clients

Open Membership & Clients

Open Communities

Rationale Performance Improvement

Information Sharing

Interoperability Standards Collaboration to get the Medici Effect (7)

SOA & Semantic Interoperability

Target Architecture

SOA, SOA, & SOI (8)

DoDAF 2.0 Adaptable Computing Infrastructure CoP

SOA Consortium

Adaptable Computing Infrastructure CoP

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3. Enterprise Mashups

PGFSOA Topic (1)

AIC (2) DoD (3) NCIOC (4) OMG (5) SOA CoP

SICoP (6)

Implementation Examples CoI and EA Activities

Continuously increasing levels of interoperability

RFIs & RFPs (9)

Pilots

MITRE SOA Lab (10)

Center of Excellence?

Roadmap Maturity Model & Assessment

SOA SCOPE, etc. Government Information Days

Conferences

Conferences

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3. Enterprise Mashups

• Footnotes:– (1) Practical Guide to Federal Service Oriented Architecture – (2)

Architecture & Infrastructure Committee of the Federal CIO Council 

– (3) Department of Defense – (4) Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium – (5) Object Management Group – (6) Semantic Interoperability Community of Practice– (7) December 10, 2007, Social networking and the Medici Effect,

Government Computer News 25th Anniversary Issue.– (8) Service Oriented Enterprise (SOE), Service Oriented

Architecture (SOA), & Service Oriented Infrastructure (SOI)– (9) Requests for Information & Requests for Proposals– (10) See Bob Sadler, May 1st, 1-1:50 PM,

5th SOA for E-Government Conference.

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4. 2008 SemTech

• Tuesday, May 20, 2008, Communities of Practice, 7:15AM - 08:15AM, US Federal Government CoP.

• Tuesday, May 20, 2008, Conference Sessions, 3:15-4:15 PM, Semantics for Net-Centric Operations.

• Wednesday, May 21, 2008, Conference Sessions, 8:30AM - 09:30AM, Getting to Web Semantics for Spreadsheets in the U.S. Government, Lee Feigenbaum, Cambridge Semantics Inc., and Brand Niemann, US EPA.

• Wednesday, 5/21/2008, Conference Sessions, 2:45PM - 3:45PM, A New Enterprise Data Management Strategy for the U.S. Government: Support for the Semantic Web and Semantic Technology, Brand Niemann, US EPA.

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4. 2008 SemTech

• Tuesday, May 20, 2008, Communities of Practice, 7:15AM - 08:15AM, US Federal Government CoP:– Welcome and Introduction to Brief Presentations: Brand

Niemann.– Semantic Exchange and Automatic and Semi-automatic

Semantification of Emails and Documents: Mills Davis, Project10x.

– Review of Entity Extraction Market, Steve Hamby, Orbis Technologies, Inc.

– Cooperative Agreements: Hans Polzer, LMCO (NCIOC) and Stefan Decker, DERI.

– Demo of Getting to Web Semantics for Spreadsheets in the U.S. Government, Lee Feigenbaum, Cambridge Semantics, Inc.

– Demo of Enterprise Social Computing: Steve Ardire, Trampoline Systems.

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4. 2008 SemTech• Tuesday, May 20, 2008, Conference Sessions, 3:15-4:15 PM,

Semantics for Net-Centric Operations:– The Net-Centric Operations Industry Consortium (NCOIC) comprises a

who's who of defense, intelligence, and aerospace contractors. It's mission is to collaboratively engineer new concepts and approaches that will enable the US, its allies, and industry to transition from an era of essentially stand-alone systems and data silos into a world where organizations, personnel, systems, information, and other assets dynamically interface, interoperate, and communicate in context across the Global Information Grid (GIG). A very tall order. This session features three perspectives on the challenges, progress to date, lessons learned, and the role of semantics in delivering net-centric interoperability.

– See February 5, 2008: Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium - Semantics, Interoperability, Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium & SICoP: Todd Schneider (Raytheon) (also Hans Polzer, Lockheed Martin, John Yanosy, Rockwell-Collins, and Steve Russell, L-3Com).

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4. 2008 SemTech

• Tuesday, May 20, 2008, Conference Sessions, 3:15-4:15 PM, Semantics for Net-Centric Operations:– Introduction to NCOIC, emphasizing the social aspect of net-

centricity and it's role in establishing "shared situational awareness" across the community regarding what it means to be net-centric, what the full spectrum and complexity/diversity of the problem space really is, and how this impacts the NCOIC approach to interoperability (Mills Davis for Steve Russell).

– The Systems, Capabilities, Operations, Programs, and Enterprises (SCOPE) model for interoperability assessment as a way to describe/measure the diversity of the net-centric ecosystem (see next slide) (Hans Polzer).

– The semantic approach being taken towards pattern development and characterization, why semantics are needed, and the work that has been done to date (Brand Niemann for John Yanosy.

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4. 2008 SemTech

http://semanticommunity.wik.is/Network_Centric_Operations_Industry_Consortium/SCOPE_Version_1.0

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4. 2008 SemTech

• Wednesday, May 21, 2008, Conference Sessions, 8:30AM - 09:30AM, Getting to Web Semantics for Spreadsheets in the U.S. Government, Lee Feigenbaum, Cambridge Semantics Inc., and Brand Niemann, US EPA:– Overview – what is this project?– The Situation – what's done today?– Challenges – what are we trying to improve?– The Approach – why do semantics help?– The Solution – what does the future look like?

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4. 2008 SemTech

• The Solution – what does the future look like?:– A live connection between spreadsheets and the Web

can eliminate the time usually needed for (re-)publishing cycles.

– On the Web, the Statistical Abstract can be presented as linked, open data, woven into the emerging Semantic Web.

– More precise and accurate search via guided query with autocomplete, informed by the semantic repository.

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5. Vision and Implementation• 2005: Federal Enterprise Architecture's Data Reference Model

(DRM 2.0):– Recognized by the leadership of the CIO Council’s Architecture &

Infrastructure Committee for outstanding contributions to DRM 2.0 in “forging the necessary conceptual agreements crucial to advancing information-sharing challenges faced by all agencies”.

• 2006: EPA Data Architecture for DRM 2.0:– Selected by the Editors of Federal Computer Week for the 2006 Power

Players Special Report, Brand Niemann champions collaboration: EPA’s data architect does the groundwork to facilitate electronic data exchanges, October 20, 2006

• 2007: EPA Data Architecture for DRM 3.0 and Web 3.0:– Online Book: A New Enterprise Information Architecture and Data

Management Strategy for the U.S. EPA and the Federal Government. Partnership with DERI for Book Chapter in “Semantic Interoperability for E-Government” (Springer).

• 2008: Semanticommunity.Net – Community Infrastructure Sandbox:– Our Space: Connecting Web 2.0, Enterprise Mashups, SOA, and the

Semantic Web for Government 2.0 (Making It Easier to Do!).

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5. Vision and Implementation

Data Architecture Component Specific Artifact Example

DRM 2.0 (1)

Description Metadata (4) Spreadsheet *

Context Taxonomy/Ontology (5) Web 2.5 Wiki 

Sharing Data (4) Spreadsheet *

DRM 3.0 (2)

Semantics (3) RDF/SPARQL (6) Middleware 

SOA Services (7)Web 2.5 Wiki (8)Web 3.0 Wiki (9)

Footnotes: See next slide.

Our initial objective is to see if Web 2.0 Wikis can be useful in bringing about collaboration across the Metadata Data Architecture, and Enterprise Architecture activities.

A longer range goal would be to see if this Web 2.0 Wiki could be used as an EnterpriseMetadata Management and Application Development Tool (e.g. data and metadata mashups).

Note: Web 2.0 does DRM 2.0 and Web 3.0 does DRM 2.0/3.0!

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5. Vision and Implementation• Footnotes:

– (1) FEA DRM 2.0 and Report to Congress (2005).– (2) February 6, 2007, and February 5, 2008.– (3) Combines Description and Context from DRM 2.0. See (2).– (4) The data and metadata are combined together (see Brand

Niemann).– (5) Information Architecture (topics and subtopics) and Data

Architecture (data tables and data elements) are integrated. See Web 2.0 Wiki Pilot: Information Classifications.

– (6) This specification defines the syntax and semantics of the SPARQL query language for RDF. SPARQL can be used to express queries across diverse data sources.

– (7) EPA Data Architecture Enterprise Metadata.– (8) Video on data reuse in mashups that will revolutionize EPA data

architecture, data management, and data reuse applications!– * Note: This also works with relational databases.

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5. Vision and Implementation

http://epametadata.wik.is/

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5. Vision and Implementation

Data Architecture Subcommittee Recommendation

EPA Data Architecture

Implementation

Comments

Web 2.0 Wiki for Collaboration

Piloting Password protected

Data Quality Profile

Implemented for indicators

From Report on the Environment 2008

Governance Implemented for indicators

From Report on the Environment 2008

DRM 3.0 Suggestions

Implementing From SICoP

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5. Vision and Implementation

• Enterprise Data Architecture and Implementation:– Federated,– Faceted,– Semantic Search– of both EPA:

• Data and• Metadata

– With:• Governance• DRM 2.0 Compliance (shown on next slide)• Discovery and Business Intelligence

• Note: All of these have been demonstrated in the slides.

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5. Vision and Implementation

DRM 2.0 Compliance:The Three Requirements for Information Sharing Have Been Satisfied!

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6. Pilot Data Sources

http://semanticommunity.wik.is/People/Brand_Niemann/2008_Semantic_Technology_Conference

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6. Pilot Data Sources

• Automatic and semi-automatic semantification of emails and documents:– (1) Work with several vendors of natural language processing

software– (2) Provide each collaborating vendor with a specific test corpus

to analyze– (3) Have each vendor process the corpus to extract concepts,

relationships, etc. from messages and documents in the corpus– (4) Have each vendor construct a semantic graph (or other

knowledge model) from the semantic metadata extracted from the source content.

– (5) Have each vendor enable a visualization, navigation, or query against this representation.

• Note: We will work with you to conduct this pilot test, writeup the results, and present them. The source file(s) for this test are available.

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6. Pilot Data Sources

• Data Element Dictionary

• Environmental Contaminants

• Body Burdens • Childhood Illnesses • Special Features • Emerging Issues

America'sChildren&the_Environment2003.xls

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7. Questions & Answers

• Contact Information:– Brand Niemann– niemann.brand@epa.gov– 202-564-9491– http://semanticommunity.net

• Press Coverage:– December 10, 2007, Semantic Report, Issue 3,

Support for the Semantic Web and Semantic Technology in the U.S. Government

– February 18, 2008, Government Computer News, Context is everything: CIO Council looks to semantic interoperability to expand data sharing.

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BIO• Dr. Brand Niemann is a Senior Enterprise Architect in the Office of the Chief

Information Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency. His work on EPA and Interagency data architecture to facilitate electronic information sharing was recognized by Federal Computer Week in its 2006 Power Player Series Special Report and recently at the Gartner Spring Enterprise Architecture Summit Conference. He was asked by Federal Computer Week to help organize The 22nd Semi-Annual Spring Government CIO Summit “Government by Wiki: New Tools for Collaboration, Information-Sharing, and Decision-Making,” and he provided a keynote on Government by Web 2.0 (Wiki): A Guided Tour. Brand is a recognized leader in the use of communities of practice (CoP) supported by Web 2.0 (Wiki) technology to develop service systems and serves as Co-chair of both the Federal Service-Oriented Architecture CoP and the Federal Semantic Interoperability CoP. He has received special recognitions and awards from the U.S. EPA, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Geological Survey, LOTUS Best Application, ComputerWorld-Smithsonian Innovation Competition, Vice President Gore's Hammer Award, OMB, the Quad Council, the Council for Excellence in Government, the Architecture & Infrastructure Committee, the Best Practices Committee, and the American Council for Technology and its Industry Advisory Council.