Chief Information Officer
IC Technical Specifications
Information Transport Service Messaging Service
Overview
This XML Data Encoding Specification for Information Transport Service Messaging Service (ITS-MS.XML) defines detailed implementation guidance for using Extensible Markup Language (XML) to encode ITS-MS data. This Data Encoding Specification (DES) defines the XML elements and attributes, associated structures and relationships, mandatory and cardinality requirements, and permissible values for representing ITS-MS data assertion concepts using XML within the use of a Trusted Data Format (TDF) Object or Collection.
This Data Encoding Specification (DES) defines how to properly structure a valid instance of an ITS-MS assertion that would conform with this specification. Use of TDF is required for compliance with this DES. A TDF may conform with multiple DES simultaneously assuming none of the criterion are in conflict.
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.
The IC Chief Information Officer via the Data Standards Coordination Activity (DSCA) and Common Metadata Standards Tiger Team (CMSTT) maintains this specification.
Technical Specification Downloads
Latest Approved Public Release:
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Information Transport Service Messaging Service (V2015-FEBr2018-JUL - Standalone Package)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Information Transport Service Messaging Service (V2015-FEBr2018-JUL - Convenience Package)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Information Transport Service Messaging Service (V2015-FEBr2018-JUL - Light Package)
Mission Requirements
Initially, the primary purpose of this specification is that it will be the basis of the IC's Enterprise Audit solution and the subsequent exchange of audit information, and is a requirement for participation in the IC Enterprise Audit Program. However, any exchange of TDF packages using ITS should use this assertion specification.
Chief Information Officer
IC Technical Specifications
CDR: Keyword Query Language
Overview
This document defines a keyword query language for use with Content Discovery & Retrieval (CDR) Search Component implementations. A keyword, in the context of a basic search, is one of the strings used to find matching content resources. It was popularized during the early days of search engine development, as it was not possible to send natural language queries to those search engines and find the desired sites. Searches typically gave the best results if only a few keywords were chosen and searched for. These keywords attempted to capture the essence of the topic in question on the basis that the keywords were likely to be present on all sites listed by the search engine.
This specification defines a common syntax, providing enough information for Search Service providers and consumers to create and use CDR-conformant Keyword Query Language Search Services.
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.
Technical Specification Downloads
Latest Approved Public Release:
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
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
Intelligence Community Specification Framework
Overview
The Intelligence Community Specification Framework (IC-SF.XML) defines the basic conceptual structure and outlines the core philosophy of Intelligence Community (IC) technical specifications. This framework is applicable to the IC and information produced by, stored, or shared within the IC. This framework may have relevance outside the scope of intelligence; however, prior to applying outside of this defined scope, the framework should be closely scrutinized and differences separately documented and assessed for applicability.
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:
Mission Requirements
Over the years, the number of IC technical specifications has grown substantially for various reasons, from addressing new enterprise needs to isolating independent concepts into separate specifications. Within these specifications, there are many aspects that are universal to all the IC specifications, or at least applicable to a particular family or format of specification. In a desire to simplify the specifications and make them easier to understand by those who are engineering and implementing enterprise exchange systems, this framework was born.