Chief Information Officer
IC Technical Specifications
XML Data Encoding Specification for Trusted Data Format
Overview
This XML Data Encoding Specification for Trusted Data Format (IC-TDF.XML) defines detailed implementation guidance for using Extensible Markup Language (XML) to encode IC-TDF data.
Information sharing within the national intelligence enterprise will increasingly rely on information assurance metadata (including enterprise data headers) to allow interagency access control, automated exchanges, and appropriate protection of shared intelligence. A structured, verifiable representation of security metadata bound to the intelligence data is required in order for the enterprise to become inherently "smarter" about the information flowing in and around it. Such a representation, when implemented with other data formats, improved user interfaces, and data processing utilities, can provide part of a larger, robust information assurance infrastructure capable of automating some of the management and exchange decisions today being performed by human beings.
The Intelligence Community (IC) has standardized the various classification and control markings established for information sharing within the Information Security Markings (ISM), Information Resource Metadata (IRM), and Enterprise Data Header (EDH) XML specifications of the Intelligence Community Enterprise Architecture (ICEA) Data Standards. The IC Trusted Data Format XML specification further expands on this body of work, adapting and extending it as necessary for TDF to function as the IC submission format for binding assertion metadata with data resource(s). This TDF functionality supports the IC way ahead strategy of implementing secure cloud-based information exchange and discovery on the IC Enterprise
This specification applies to the IC, as defined by the National Security Act of 1947, as amended; and such other elements of any other department or agency as may be designated by the President or designated jointly by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the head of the department or agency concerned, as an element of the IC. Joint and Coalition forces may use this specification, but it is not required.
This specification is maintained by the IC Chief Information Officer via the Data Standards Coordination Activity (DSCA) and Common Metadata Standards Tiger Team (CMSTT).
Technical Specification Downloads
Latest Approved Public Release:
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Trusted Data Format (V2021-NOV - Standalone Package)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Trusted Data Format (V2021-NOV - Convenience Package)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Trusted Data Format (V2021-NOV - Light Package)
Mission Requirements
Information sharing within the national intelligence enterprise will increasingly rely on information assurance metadata (including enterprise data headers) to allow interagency access control, automated exchanges, and appropriate protection of shared intelligence. A structured, verifiable representation of security metadata bound to the intelligence data is required in order for the enterprise to become inherently "smarter" about the information flowing in and around it. Such a representation, when implemented with other data formats, improved user interfaces, and data processing utilities, can provide part of a larger, robust information assurance infrastructure capable of automating some of the management and exchange decisions today being performed by human beings.
The Intelligence Community (IC) has standardized the various classification and control markings established for information sharing within the Information Security Markings (ISM), Information Resource Metadata (IRM), and Enterprise Data Header (EDH) XML specifications. The IC Trusted Data Format XML specification further expands on this body of work, adapting and extending it as necessary for TDF to function as the IC submission format for binding assertion metadata with data resource(s). This TDF functionality supports the IC way ahead strategy of implementing secure cloud-based information exchange and discovery on the IC Enterprise.
Chief Information Officer
IC Technical Specifications
CDR Retrieve
Overview
This IC/DoD enterprise encoding specification defines requirements and provides guidelines for the realization of the Content Discovery and Retrieval (CDR) Retrieve Component as a web service using both the REST style and SOAP bindings, hereafter termed a Retrieve service. This component provides a common interface and behavioral model for IC and DoD content collections, enabling content consumers to retrieve relevant content resources from disparate collections across the IC/DoD Enterprise. The content of this specification describes a Retrieve service’s interface and other aspects in detail, providing enough information for Retrieve service providers and implementers to create CDR-compliant Retrieve services.
The Retrieve Component, as defined by the Intelligence Community/Department of Defense (IC/DoD) CDR Specification Framework, serves as a “pull” mechanism to access the information resource.
The REST Retrieve Component relies on mechanisms that are already well established in the internet infrastructure:
- HTTP GET method - HTTP/HTTPS – http://www.w3.org/Protocols/
- HTTP Result Codes (maintained by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority – IANA) Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Status Code Registry – http://www.iana.org/assignments/http-status-codes
- MIME Types (maintained by IANA): MIME types http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2045.txt
The SOAP Retrieve specification covers the following aspects of a SOAP-based Retrieve Component:
- Service Interface defines the base SOAP constructs to expressing inputs, outputs, and faults
- Implementation provides additional implementation guidance beyond the behavior and interface guidance
- Reference Documentation provides references to other CDR and community artifacts (i.e., CDR Reference Architecture)
The Retrieve Component supports the retrieval for a specified resource from a Content Collection. The Retrieve Component, as defined, can only support returning a resource directly to the requestor. It cannot redirect output to a component other than the requestor. In addition, no special handling instructions (e.g., routing) may be specified.
This specification supports Intelligence Community Directive 501(ICD 501), Discovery, Dissemination or Retrieval of Information within the Intelligence Community, which establishes policies for (1) discovery, and (2) dissemination or retrieval of intelligence and intelligence-related information collected, or analysis produced by the Intelligence Community.
Compliance with this specification is measured against all aspects of the technical and documentary artifacts contained within the specification release package. This specification is maintained by the IC Chief Information Officer via the Services Coordination Activity (SCA) and Content Discovery and Retrieval Integrated Product Team (CDR IPT).
Technical Specification Downloads
Latest Approved Public Release:
- IC-DoD REST Interface Specification for CDR Retrieve (V2 - Standalone Package (Release Date: 3 Oct 2012))
- IC-DoD SOAP Interface Specification for CDR Retrieve (V2 - Standalone Package (Release Date: 3 Oct 2012))
Value Proposition
This specification is designed to fulfill a number of requirements in support of the transformational efforts of the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense Enterprise(IC/DoD). Features of this specification are to:
- Enable retrieval of an identified content resource from the Content Collection in which it is stored.
- Initiate delivery of the retrieved resource to the requestor or to a designated alternate location using the Deliver Component.
Chief Information Officer
IC Technical Specifications
DoD Discovery Metadata
Overview
This XML Data Encoding Specification for Intelligence Content Discovery and Retrieval (CDR) defines detailed implementation guidance for using result sets in service responses applicable to the IC and Department of Defense (DoD) and information produced by, stored, or shared within and between the IC and DoD. The Content Discovery and Retrieval (CDR) Search Component specifies the use of result sets in service responses. As the DoD Discovery Metadata Specification (DDMS) is the Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of Defense (DoD) standard representation for resource metadata, and the IC Information Resource Metadata (IRM) standard is a supplement to it, providing guidance on how to search for DDMS and IRM encoded data is important. This document provides implementation guidelines for the use of DDMS and IRM in query request expressions and query responses for the CDR Search Specifications.
This is the first release of the specification and therefore provides no backward capability.
Compliance with this specification is measured against all aspects of the technical and documentary artifacts contained within the specification release package.
This specification is maintained by the IC Chief Information Officer via the Data Coordination Activity (DCA) and Content Discovery & Retrieval Integrated Project Team.
Technical Specification Downloads
Latest Approved Public Release:
- None
Mission Requirements
This specification is designed to fulfill a number of requirements in support of the transformational efforts of the Intelligence Community. Many of these requirements are articulated in IC Directives.
This specification includes design features capable of:
- Use of result sets in service responses.
- Provides guidance on how to search for DDMS and IRM encoded data.
- Provides implementation guidelines for the use of DDMS and IRM in query request expressions and query responses for the CDR Search Specifications.
- Defines joint vision and shared oversight between IC and DoD.
- Outlines IC/DoD CDR IPT set of architecturally-driven standards and specifications that enable content discovery and retrieval of all IC and DoD data assets.
- DoD Metadata Working Group
- CDR Reference Architecture (CDR-RA)
- Advises on how to search documents which follow the DDMS and IRM specifications.
- Uses XPath as the notational convention.
- Defines dependencies
- Defines Version and XML Namespace Policies
- Provides info on running examples written in DDMS 5.0 to make work with DDMS 4.1 examples.
Chief Information Officer
IC Technical Specifications
IdAM: Full Service Directory
Overview
The Data Encoding Specification for the IC Full Service Directory Schema codifies the set of Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) attributes that IC elements are expected to provide when participating in the Intelligence Community Full Service Directory (IC FSD) architecture. The collection of attributes defined in the specification results in an overarching IC FSD Schema that is suitable for describing IC Entities within the TS/SCI environment. IC Entities may fall into the categories of an “IC Person” or “IC Non-Person Entity”, with the latter being used to define objects such as servers, devices, appliances, applications, and services that exist within the IC enterprise. The IC FSD Schema described in the specification is designed for implementation within LDAPv3-compliant directory servers.
Technical Specification Downloads
Latest Approved Public Release:
- Data Encoding Specification for IC Full Service Directory Schema (V2021-NOV - Standalone Package)
- Data Encoding Specification for IC Full Service Directory Schema (V2021-NOV - Convenience Package)
- Data Encoding Specification for IC Full Service Directory Schema (V2021-NOV - Light Package)
Value Proposition
The Data Encoding Specification for the IC Full Service Directory Schema defines detailed specifications for attributes that IC elements are expected to provide to the Intelligence Community Full Service Directory (IC FSD). Its function is to facilitate the availability, accuracy, and standardization of these attributes across the IC TS/SCI enterprise, building a consistent basis for capabilities including directory services, email functions, and attribute-based access control decisions. The specification defines:
- IC-specific Schema and supporting objectClasses for IC Entities
- Attributes, both standard and IC-defined, that must be managed by IC Elements
- Controlled vocabulary for those attributes whose use requires standard values
- Authentication requirements for the attributes
The primary audience for the specification includes those responsible for implementing and managing the capabilities that create, provide, modify, store, exchange, search, display, or further process IC FSD attributes.
Chief Information Officer
IC Technical Specifications
Trusted Data Format - Base
Overview
This XML Data Encoding Specification for Trusted Data Format - Base (BASE-TDF.XML) defines detailed implementation guidance for using Extensible Markup Language (XML) to encode BASE- TDF data. This specification defines the XML elements and attributes, associated structures and relationships, mandatory and cardinality requirements, and permissible values for representing BASE-TDF data concepts using XML.
BASE-TDF.XML is the top-level specification from which all other Trusted Data Format (TDF) specifications are generated. TDF specifications, such as XML Data Encoding Specification for Trusted Data Format (IC-TDF.XML), inherit only those capabilities that are needed to fulfill its requirements. Child TDF instances will always validate against the parent BASE-TDF.XML schema, however, BASE-TDF.XML instances are not guaranteed to validate against child TDF schemas.
The IC Chief Information Officer maintains this specification via the Data Standards Coordination Activity (DSCA) and Common Metadata Standards Tiger Team (CMSTT).
Technical Specification Downloads
Latest Approved Public Release:
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Trusted Data Format - Base (V2021-NOV - Standalone Package)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Trusted Data Format - Base (V2021-NOV - Convenience Package)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Trusted Data Format - Base (V2021-NOV - Light Package)
Mission Requirements
Information sharing within the national intelligence enterprise will increasingly rely on information assurance metadata (including enterprise data headers) to allow interagency access control, automated exchanges, and appropriate protection of shared intelligence. A structured, verifiable representation of security metadata bound to the intelligence data is required for the enterprise to become inherently "smarter" about the information flowing in and around it. Such a representation, when implemented with other data formats, improved user interfaces, and data processing utilities, can provide part of a larger, robust information assurance infrastructure capable of automating some of the management and exchange decisions today being performed by human beings.