The component construction kit

The purpose of this section is to describe the component themselves, and how they can be joined together.

Core components

As noted above, the core components in the architecture are the ones where standardisation is most important, as without this deep-seated integration, building more complex structures will be slow, time-consuming and expensive. The core components are:

• Metadata service descriptions, that ensure all the functions of government are described in consistent terms easily understood by a wide range of citizens;

• Directory services that allow agencies, their organisational units and offices to be quickly and easily located;

• Technical messaging services that allow systems and applications to interchange data using pre-agreed standards;

• System-level authentication between servers and applications to ensure that information flows have the correct authorisation and robustness;

• Accessibility standards that enable the widest possible range of users to interact with the web-based services of government.

For reasons of flexibility and cost, industry standards such as XML and LDAP are used as the underlying framework for the core components, as shown in the following table:

As can be seen, key projects within the EGU are aimed at building and developing the standards for these core components. The projects are:

• Metadata management, managing the collection and dissemination of NZGLS service descriptions across the government sector, and the underlying metadata standards

• SEE (Secure Electronic Environment), managing server-to-server authentication and LDAP services currently used by the SEE infrastructure and the portal

• e-GIF (e-Government Interoperability Framework), managing XML, messaging and data interchange standards

• Web Guidelines, managing the consultation, publication and management of the accessibility guidelines

Value-added components

Once the core components are in place, higher-value building blocks can be created. The emphasis in all cases is on inter-agency applications; that is, systems that add value by enabling agencies to work together in a more streamlined fashion. These broadly fall into three groups:

• Web services such as search engines that can be utilised by remote programming calls through a standardised interface;

• Collaboration tools such as shared workspaces and inter-agency workflow;

• Gateway services that enable systems and applications to interoperate with minimal infrastructure investments, whilst observing the requirements of appropriate security and privacy legislation.

We'll look at each group in turn to see which core services are being built on, how they work, and the potential implementations for users.

Web services

Typical Description: The Autonomy search engine used by the Portal is an example of a web service. It is implemented via an XML/HTTP interface called from any web page, and is designed to be billed on a cost recovery basis, depending on usage. This means that government agencies can integrate a powerful, sophisticated search engine into their Internet, extranet and intranet environments without the need for large capital investment or substantial systems integration. The system already catalogues government services and web pages across agency boundaries, so users have access to all relevant information without having to know about the structure of government.

Builds On: The search engine depends on the messaging services core component for transport of XML, and is integrated with the metadata management component to allow external sites to index and search government services.

Implementation: The technical interface to the search engine is published as part of an e-GIF standard, and usage limitations and charging are covered in a Terms of Use MOU available from the EGU.

Collaboration tools

Typical Description: A shared workspace is an example of a pre-packaged collaboration tool. It is a shared web-based environment designed to help people work more closely together across agency boundaries, and typically includes components such as a message board, subscription services, document repositories and real-time messaging. Control and administration of the workspace is in the hands of team members, and the system is conducive to co-ordinating project-based work.

Builds On: Collaboration requires directory services to allow team members to communicate effectively, and system authentication if the work is confidential in nature. Depending on the degree of collaboration, messaging services may also be used to facilitate transport between agencies. Accessibility may be important, depending on the needs of particular user groups.

Implementation: Shared workspaces are available as a hosted service through the EGU, currently in prototype form. Contact the EGU for more details.

Gateway services

Typical Description: The sharing of information between back-office systems can be handled most efficiently when there is a "publish and subscribe" capability. This means that a publishing agency can propagate information - such as an address change - once to a suitable gateway, and allow all subscribing agencies to receive the update from the gateway, rather than direct from the publisher, as governed by both the business rules and appropriate privacy and security legislation. This is much more efficient than creating multiple point-to-point links between agency systems, and results in substantially lower operating costs and system overheads whilst ensuring legislative protections are embedded in the system's business rules.

Builds On: The gateway uses messaging services as the underlying transport and formatting infrastructure, and e-GIF as the standard for describing each of the different message types.

Implementation: Currently under development by the EGU. Use will be covered by an MOU, and both the systems and related documentation are likely to be completed in Q2 2003.

The relationship between core services, the value-added components and agency initiatives can be shown as follows:

Having described elements of the building block construction kit, we will now look at how it can be used by agencies through some hypothetical case studies.