Copyright c 2000 by Commerce One, Inc. Interoperability Across Marketplaces Mary Loomis VP, Engineering OOPSLA -- October 17, 2000 Topics The B2B Context

Copyright c 2000 by Commerce One, Inc.

Interoperability Across Marketplaces

Mary LoomisVP, Engineering

OOPSLA -- October 17, 2000

TopicsThe B2B Context

ObservationsChallenges:

•XML•Legacy

•Connectivity•Process-Management

Slide 2 Copyright c 2000 by Commerce One, Inc.

CustomersSupply Chain

Indirect Procurement

Enterprise

Traditional Enterprise-Centric ViewTraditional Enterprise-Centric View


Traditional Business Models and Integration RequirementsTraditional Business Models and Integration Requirements

Traditional models for electronic business are based on long-term, point-to-point, and tightly coupled relationships, often centered around a dominant enterprise EDI is used here because high integration costs

can be recovered over time Partners are more willing to invest in compatible

IT infrastructure at each end or in middleware that creates a distributed application


ERPERPEDIEDI

TranslatorTranslator

VANVAN

EDIEDI

ERPERPTranslatorTranslator

Basic VAN TopologyBasic VAN Topology


AssemblyOutsourcing

ProcurementOutsourcing

Distribution

Markets

Customers

Supply Chain

Indirect Procureme

nt

Enterprise

Networks of Commerce CommunitiesNetworks of Commerce Communities


Internet Business Models andIntegration RequirementsInternet Business Models andIntegration Requirements

Relationships are experimental, evolving and have shorter lifetimes overall

Both initial integration cost and incremental cost to evolve must be low

Point-to-point coupling approaches won’t support “describe once, {sell,buy} anywhere” goals

Global scalability puts premium on being able to accommodate variation and dynamic trading


The “market maker” and “exchange operator”

The participating businesses

The services these businesses provide to each other

The messages and documents that are exchanged to request and perform the services

What is an Internet Market or Trading Community?What is an Internet Market or Trading Community?

xCBLxCBL

Other Other XMLXML

xCBLxCBL

Other Other XMLXML

EDIEDI

Suppliers

BuyersBuyers

Marketplace

EDIEDI


ERPERP

FileXPCXPC

XPCXPC

Business Services areXML Document ExchangesBusiness Services areXML Document Exchanges

MarketSiteMarketSite

APIAPI

ERPERP

Firewall

FirewallIf you send me a request for a catalog, I will send you a catalog

If you send me a purchase order, I will send you a purchase order response


Document Choreography - ExampleDocument Choreography - Example

SalesOrderService : SupplierSide

PurchaseOrderService : BuyerSide

MarketPlace

PurchaseOrder PurchaseOrder

PurchaseOrderResponsePurchaseOrderResponse

OrderStatusRequest OrderStatusRequest

OrderStatusResponse

OrderStatusResponse


Trading Partner Interoperability, then “Plug and Play” CommerceTrading Partner Interoperability, then “Plug and Play” Commerce

Business services

are treated as reusable components whose interfaces are expressed as documents

can interoperate because they share a common semantic framework

can be linked to create virtual companies, markets, and trading communities


Example Business ServicesExample Business Services Procurement

Order management

Content services Catalog authoring and production Content publication and syndication Multi-supplier catalog management Content enhancement

Invoice reconciliation

Global tax estimation

Business intelligence (data warehouse and reporting)

RFQ and RFP processes

Auctions and reverse-auctions

Import/export documentation

…


Global Trading Web

AutomotiveAutomotive

EnergyEnergy

AerospaceAerospace

TelecommunicationTelecommunication$$1 Trillion1 Trillion of of Buying PowerBuying PowerConnectedConnected

Utility Utility ExchangeExchange

(21 Members)(21 Members)

The Global Trading Web


ObservationsObservations

XML is not sufficient for document-centric interoperability

“Classic Workflow” is not sufficient for interoperable marketplace document choreography

Cannot underestimate importance of the legacy (heritage) of standards, data, modes of conducting business, …

Wide range of trading partners’ needs implies multi-faceted solutions to interoperability problems

Complexity enters the picture everywhere: distribution, internationalization, versioning, extensions, customization, dynamic evolution of business services


Current ApproachCurrent Approach Business services to implement actions/process

components, using objects as underlying technology

XML documents to share information, using XML Schemas to get data typing, subclassing, …

xCBL document component library to implement shared semantics

Process flow management to implement mobility, using Internet as underlying technology

Versioning and extensions to implement evolution of docs, business services, process flow, …

Implementation complexity is due partly to getting these still-evolving technologies to work well together.


XML’s Big Idea: Document TypesXML’s Big Idea: Document Types Customer Profiles

Vendor Profiles

Catalogs

Datasheets

Price Lists

Purchase Orders

Invoices

Inventory Reports

Bill of Materials

Payments

Deposits

Credit Reports

Schedules

Directories

Schedules

….whatever you need

In XML the formal definition of permitted elements, In XML the formal definition of permitted elements, attributes, and the rules by which they combine is attributes, and the rules by which they combine is called a called a Document Type DefinitionDocument Type Definition or or DTDDTD or or schema schema


XML IssuesXML Issues

Because XML comes from document processing, there is no strong data-typing.

In my DTD, I have:<!ELEMENT Temperature (#PCDATA)>

In my document, I could have:<Temperature>34</Temperature> or<Temperature>Looks warm out today,

Fred.</Temperature>

In neither case would the parser complain. There is no better way to do it with a DTD, either.


Other IssuesOther Issues

XML reflects object hierarchies, but DTDs do not provide a way to describe explicitly the inheritance underlying class-based object systems.

There is no way to provide for local variation by extending or refining data structures, or renaming them locally - no “scoping.”


XML SchemasXML Schemas Developed to solve these problems.

Include Strong data-typing Customizable data-types Support for polymorphism and local use

Data-types and element types become classes that can be extended, refined, and subclassed

W3C began work on a standard for XML Schema - XSDL - published in 2000


Meanwhile, to get product out …Meanwhile, to get product out … Commerce One did not wait for W3C; we developed

SOX, the Schema language for Object-oriented XML. SOX lets us “extend” or customize the standard

components to reuse them in multiple documents SOX lets us specify strong data-typing and

semantic constraints, which enables better code generation, easier integration, more complete message validation

Microsoft did not: they developed XDR - XML Data (Reduced).


Another part of the solution: xCBL Another part of the solution: xCBL

xCBL : XML Common Business Library Started 3/97 Library of reusable XML components common

to many business domains Framework for defining documents with

common architecture Defined using SOX; Distributed in DTD, XDR,

and SOX forms

See www.xCBL.org


CBL DocumentsCBL Documents

Business Forms

CatalogCatalog

Purchase OrderPurchase Order

InvoiceInvoice

Business Descriptions

VendorVendor

ServicesServices

ProductsProducts

Measurements

TimeTime

CurrencyCurrency

WeightWeight

Locale

AddressAddress

CountryCountry

LanguageLanguage

Classification

SICSIC

NAICSNAICS

FSCFSC

core

core

core

core

core

xCBL Building BlocksxCBL Building Blocks


CBL DocumentsCBL Documents

Business Forms

CatalogCatalog

Purchase OrderPurchase Order

InvoiceInvoice

Business Descriptions

VendorVendor

ServicesServices

ProductsProducts

Measurements

TimeTime

CurrencyCurrency

WeightWeight

Locale

AddressAddress

CountryCountry

LanguageLanguage

Classification

SICSIC

NAICSNAICS

FSCFSC

core

core

core

core

core

Building Documents from Components Building Documents from Components

Purchase Order

Buyer NameAddress

Product SKU NumberManufacturerModel

Order QuantityPrice

Payment MethodAccount Number

Purchase Order

Buyer NameAddress

Product SKU NumberManufacturerModel

Order QuantityPrice

Payment MethodAccount Number

Catalog Description

SKU Number 10023Product Type LaptopManufacturer IBMModel ThinkPad 560Speed 166MHzList Price $3500.00

Catalog Description

SKU Number 10023Product Type LaptopManufacturer IBMModel ThinkPad 560Speed 166MHzList Price $3500.00

Market Registration

Company NameAddress

Agent NameTitle

Role Buyer

Market Registration

Company NameAddress

Agent NameTitle

Role Buyer

Payment InformationCard 1 American Express

123-234-4444Card 2 Visa

001-234-5678

Payment InformationCard 1 American Express

123-234-4444Card 2 Visa

001-234-5678

ERP Query

SKU Number 46747456In Stock 6Customer Price $1500.00

ERP Query

SKU Number 46747456In Stock 6Customer Price $1500.00

Interoperability in B2BDocument ArchitectureInteroperability in B2BDocument Architecture


The EDI LegacySample EDI Message...The EDI LegacySample EDI Message...


XML {and, or, xor} EDIXML {and, or, xor} EDI

XML is human-readable as well as machine processable

XML is a way of making data self-describing


Implementation & Maintenance Cost

Time

EDI

XML

Benefit of Using XML Syntax

Perspective of Company Creating a New Internet MarketplacePerspective of Company Creating a New Internet Marketplace

Time

EDI

XML


Cost of creating XML document types and mapping to/ from EDI

Perspective of EDI-enabled Buyer or Supplier


xCBL Combines EDI and XMLxCBL Combines EDI and XML

EDI standards provide strong non-proprietary semantic foundation for xCBL

Companies using EDI today see a clear migration path in xCBL for mapping from EDI applications to XML

SMEs for whom EDI is not cost-effective can use xCBL in simple Web applications to interoperate with EDI partners

Marketplace Operator’s Perspective with xCBLMarketplace Operator’s Perspective with xCBL


Time

EDI

XML

xCBL

Benefit of Using XML Syntax

Benefit of Using XML Schemas and Component Library


Time

EDI

XML

xCBLBenefit of Mapping EDI to/from xCBL

EDI with xCBL


Numerous “official” and ad hoc efforts underway to translate EDI concepts and specifications to XML Some have modest incremental goal of translating X12 or EDIFACT

data element definitions to XML syntax Others envision a radical re-thinking of EDI

Approaches Generic EDI with XML routing wrapper

– EDI messages remain intact– VAN replaced by eMarketplace

Convert EDI syntax into XML syntax (all EDI messages convert to one XML document type)

Convert EDI semantics into XML semantics (full xCBL encoding with new document types)

The ebXML Initiative objective: harmonized solution that preserves EDI semantics and exploits XML

EDI and XML CoexistenceEDI and XML Coexistence


A joint initiative of OASIS (XML Vendors and Users) and UN/CEFACT (keepers of the EDIFACT standards)

Mission: To provide an open XML-based infrastructureenabling the global use of electronic business information in an interoperable, secure and consistent manner by all parties.

Technical WGs Core Components (how to define message structures) Business Process (how to define markets, parties, resources,

contracts, and processes) Registry and Repository (for registration and discovery of

models and information) Messaging (transport layer and interfaces for message

exchange)

ebXML – www.ebxml.orgebXML – www.ebxml.org


EnterprisesEnterprises

VAN T

rans

form

atio

n

VAN T

rans

form

atio

n

xCBL

MarketSiteMarketSite

xCBL

xCBLxCBL

ERPERP FlatFile

xCBL

XPCXPC

Transformation Transformation GatewayGateway

EB EB DesktopDesktop

Business Services

webMethodswebMethods

xCBL

Example Modes of eMarketplace ConnectivityExample Modes of eMarketplace Connectivity


Document ChoreographyDocument ChoreographyRequirements Distributed approach

Cannot centralize a process flow manager Cannot centralize knowledge of choreographies

Asynchronous state management Provide Just Enough replication

Flexibility Support customization and extensibility of “standard”

choreographies Support coexistence of multiple versions

Heterogeneity Support wide range of connectivity options Deal with multiplicity of standards”


In Closing…In Closing…

B2B Internet Marketplaces Are revolutionizing businesses’ quests for efficiency Provide a wonderfully complex juxtaposition of

computer science and business challenges Provide wide-open opportunity for innovation with

commercial application– Find the synergies among “disciplines”:

documents, databases, workflow, component-based frameworks, agents, distributed systems, transaction management, software engineering, …

– Achieving interoperability is more than a standards issue