Evolution of a Service Oriented Grid foreGovernment

1
Public InfoStructure

• Evolution of a Service Oriented Grid
  for eGovernment
• Third Emerging Components Conference
• March 24, 2004 at FOSE
• Washington, D.C.

Peter Gallagher
2
Public InfoStructure Evolution of a
Service Oriented Grid

• What is the Grid
• Interoperability Driving Force in Public
  InfoStructure
• Example of Federal investment, standards and Open
  Source EZ Reusable Objects (EZRO)
• InfoStructure People, Processes working with
  Technology - or - Systems that support
  interaction between people and computers

3
Grid Checklist / Issues

• Coordinates resources that are not subject to
  centralized control..
• Uses standard, open, general-purpose protocols
  and interfaces
• Delivers nontrivial qualities of service
• Broader than strictly computational grid rather
  coordinated use of resources to deliver service
• Service distribution not centralization
• Resource Sharing not just Re-use
• What is the Grid? Ian Foster, Argonne
  National Lab/U. of Chicago, July 20, 2002

4
Perspective IT Solutions Provider

• Design, develop, manage and operate custom
  eGovernment solutions
• US Federal, UN, and private consulting firms
• DoS, DoL, GSA, USAID, FDA, HHS, etc.
• Small business in a hyper-competitive IT market
• 40 Staff/5 mil. Revenue
• Over 10 years experience in Federal IT market

5
Interoperability and Governmental Coopetition
- Ideal to Promote the Grid

• Horizontal Federal, State and Local
• Vertical Health, safety, security, etc.
• Unlike the private sector no one is injured by
  sharing knowledge
• Not competition but coopetition
• Ideal environment for shared investments in
  public infostructure need flexible mechanism
• Share not just data/standards but implementing
  code for Grid enabling Web services/components

6
EZ Reusable Objects (EZRO) Department of Labor
Workforce Connections

• SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model)
• Standard for eLearning content authoring (see
  http//adlnet.org/)
• SCORM-compliant software evolved over two years
  into production software powering 100 sites
  including high-volume DOT-GOV sites
• Usable accessibility Section 508
  (disabilityinfo.gov)
• OSS technology
• Python, Zope, Apache, Debian GNU/Linux, etc.
• Also runs in Windows
• Released via General Public License (GPL) same
  as license as used by the popular Linux operating
  system

7
Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) -
Various Assets
8
SCORM Standard XML Wrapping / ID
9
EZRO Informational Public - 1 (http//www.disabili
tyinfo.gov)
10
EZRO Administrative Interface - 1
11
EZRO eLearning Sample 2 (http//cable.devis.com)
12
EZRO Coach Public 3 (http//www.onestopcoach.
org)
13
EZRO Coach Administration 3
14
Open Source Software (OSS) Benefits for Small
IT Services Provider

• Discourages Vendor Lock-in Small business
  poses less risk to Agency hence easier to buy
  services/products
• Bidding Lower cost initially and TCO
• Outsourcing - less complex pricing re.
  licensing/upgrades
• Complete and simple ownership/transfer
• Intra-agency Federal
• Inter-governmental Federal/State/Local and
  International
• Public/Commercial
• Replication Costs Lower / Massive Efficiency
  Gains
• Published approaches/Standards Based by
  definition cheaper experimentation by vendors
• New model! Good for small business / competition

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What made EZRO Possible / Grid?

• Standards SCORM / many internet protocols
• Low cost open source software to build on (Zope,
  Apache, Python, Linux, etc.)
• Investment s mostly Federal, several Agencies,
  and private (devis)
• License vehicle to clarify commercial usage
• Someday move from re-use to resource sharing for
  content/elearning presented just-in-time and via
  a services Grid Holy Grail?

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Closing Issues

• Agreements in place
• Mechanism (TCD/IP, HTTP, etc.) - YES
• Syntax (XML, EDI, etc.) - YES
• Semantics (Meaning Identification) Always
  Difficult
• How can OSS and Federal investment promote
  services grid and ensure interoperability?
• Think differently about our systems and
  distributed computing
• Public infostructure is inevitable

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For more information

• Peter Gallagher, devIS, 703-525-6485PGallagher_at_de
  vis.com
• http//www.devis.com
• See http//www.egovos.org for information open
  source software in eGovernment
• See http//ezro.devis.com devis EZ Reusable
  Objects (EZRO) free download of just-in-time
  content publishing system for information,
  eLearning and on-line coaching.