GJXDD participation

["Dallas Powell" <dpowell@tybera.com>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Elizabeth Pearson [mailto:epearson@ncja.org]
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 5:01 PM
Cc: 'ijisinstitute.org - Wormeli, Paul'; 'Cropper, Patrick'; 'Threatte,
James L.'
Subject: Call for Consultants: GJXDD Performance Testing Project Committee


Dear IJIS Institute Member:

As you are aware, the IJIS Institute has received a grant from the U.S.
Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to support its XML
initiatives.  A significant portion of the grant will go to support testing
of the GLOBAL Justice XML Data Dictionary (GJXDD) as well the development of
juvenile justice XML for inclusion in the GJXDD.

I am writing to solicit nominees from your firm for the GJXDD Performance
Testing Project Committee, which will participate in and oversee the
activities associated with this portion of the grant.   Specifically, we are
seeking four (4) industry representatives for the GJXDD Performance Testing
Project Committee, which will be led by Jim Threatte of SAIC.  I am
attaching below a brief work statement that outlines responsibilities and
tentative dates for committee activities.  We will shortly be sending a
similar email soliciting industry representatives for the Juvenile XML
Project Committee, which will be led by Stephanie Rondenelle of ACG.

If you have staff/colleagues who have the appropriate skill set, are
available for these project committee meetings, and can contribute to the
resulting work products, please forward me their name(s) as well as a
resume, bio, or some other document with information about their skill set
and experience by COB Friday, November 21, 2003.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about this
effort.

Thanks!
Liz Pearson
IJIS Institute

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GJXDD Performance Testing Project Committee
Project Overview:  Ensuring the performance and validity of the most recent
XML standard is an important element of its successful implementation.  A
well considered and fully exercised testing protocol can help identify
potential problems and establish potential solutions for improved
performance of the XML data model.  Such testing and tuning will foster its
adoption and use in the field.

At a recent IWG Executive Committee meeting, participants discussed how
industry could best support and facilitate the adoption of GJXDD Version
3.0.    From the discussion, it was clear that testing various elements of
GJXDD Version 3.0 and identifying tools that could be used in conjunction
with the GJXDD would be a helpful contribution to the effort on the part of
industry.  Since that meeting, the IJIS Institute has worked with GTRI to
solicit some preliminary ideas on the areas in which testing would be
helpful.  GTRI highlighted several specific testing ideas in a number of
areas, such as schema-related testing, testing miscellaneous system
capabilities, conversion tools, and the identification of missing
components.

The IJIS Institute has already engaged many of its member firms to respond
to these testing needs.  Many of our member firms have agreed to donate
workstations and other hardware to create a test lab in which the
performance testing will be performed.  In addition, the IJIS Institute has
partnered with the George Washington University (GWU), to further expand the
organization's ability and to provide resources to conduct research and
demonstration projects.  We have reached a cooperative agreement with GWU
and will leverage that relationship to conducting the performance testing.
As such, our specific goals in this area are to:

* Work with the IJIS Institute membership, the Justice Department,
GTRI, and other partner agencies to define an appropriate scope of testing;
* Create an industry-staffed project committee to oversee the testing
activity;
* Partner with a university to assist in the development and execution
of the testing protocols and to deliver the testing; and
* Document and distribute written materials on the testing outcomes.

Tentative Dates:  First Project Committee meeting will be held in January
2004; there will be a second meeting held in Late May 2004.

Description of Effort/Need:  The GJXDD Performance Testing Project Committee
will be charged with four primary tasks:

* Creating a test plan for the GJXDD, based on input from industry,
OJP, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), and the XML Structure Task
Force (XSTF);
* Review the test plan established by the students and faculty at the
George Washington University (GWU);
* Monitoring the testing, which will be conducted by students and
faculty at the George Washington University (GWU);
* Reviewing test results and contributing to a final report on the
project; and
* Attending a briefing for OJP, GTRI, XSTF, and others on the results

Time, Deliverable Expectations:  The IJIS Institute is seeking four (4)
individuals.  We need participants that have:
1. Deep knowledge regarding XML
2. Personal experience in system testing including test planning and
methodology
3. Familiarity with the GJXDD  Version 3.0
4. Have conducted capacity and performance  tests of similar
technology, such as EDIs

Since it will be unlikely that all participants will have strong skills in
all of the area of need, if the candidate you are forwarding has strength in
any of the required areas, please feel free to pursue participation on this
team.

The IJIS Institute grant will reimburse for any travel, lodging and per diem
associated with this initiative.  IJIS Institute participants will not be
reimbursed for their time.

Project Committee members will be expected to participate in the two Project
Committee meetings that will be conducted in the Washington, D.C. area.
They also will be expected to contribute the test plan and test results
review, which will likely require intermittent teleconferences and follow up
work.  Overall, we expect participants will spend approximately 100 hours on
this engagement during a seven (7) month period from December until the end
of June.




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