The Universal Data Element Framework (UDEF) is a standard way of indexing enterprise information that can produce big cost savings.

Why Use the UDEF?

Enterprises today store huge amounts of information of many different kinds. But the more information you have, the harder it is to find what you need. This drives up software costs, as developers spend time locating the right sources of information in the corporate stores. The latest trends in software architecture, particularly SOA, are reducing other cost factors but not this one. It is becoming the most important cost element of software development.

Enterprises can use the UDEF to index their information. Developers can then find information sources more easily, bringing down software costs. It is a standard, so that costs are reduced for interfaces to other enterprises that use the UDEF, as well as within the enterprise itself.

A large enterprise has many different information stores and applications, which organize and categorize data in different ways. The UDEF enables it to categorize data in a standard and consistent way, greatly reducing the cost of programming.

A small enterprise needs to exchange data with large customers, and can realize cost savings if the applications involved have been UDEF-enabled.

The UDEF is easy to deploy. A small amount of training is needed to enable staff to use it. It currently covers the kinds of information most commonly used by enterprises, and there is a simple process for extending it to cover more specialized information used by particular enterprises or within vertical market groups.

This means that, with a relatively low investment, an enterprise can index its information and cut its cost of software development.

How to Use the UDEF

The UDEF is an instantiation of the naming convention specified by the International Standard for Metadata Registries, ISO/IEC 11179. It enables an enterprise to tag its data element concepts (a key metadata definition of that standard) with globally standard identifiers, and hence relate them to similar data element concepts defined by other organizations.

There are six basic steps to follow when mapping data element concepts to the UDEF.

1. Identify the applicable UDEF property word that characterizes the dominant attribute (property) of the data element concept. For example: Name, Identifier, Date, etc.
2. Identify the dominant UDEF object word that the dominant property (selected in step 1) is describing. For example, Person_Name, Product_Identifier, Document_Date, etc.
3. By reviewing the UDEF tree for the selected property identified in step 1, identify applicable qualifiers that are necessary to describe the property word term unambiguously. For example, Family Name.
4. By reviewing the UDEF tree for the selected object identified in step 2, identify applicable qualifiers that are necessary to describe the object word term unambiguously. For example, Customer Person.
5. Concatenate the object term and the property term to create a UDEF naming convention compliant name where it is recognized that the name may seem artificially long. For example, Customer Person_Family Name.
6. Derive a structured ID based on the UDEF taxonomy that carries the UDEF inherited indexing scheme. For example <CustomerPersonFamilyName UDEFID=”as.5_11.10”>.

Gap Analysis

The UDEF enables rapid comparison of appropriately tagged XML files to determine how their semantics correspond. This simplifies and speeds up development of interface software. You can use the gap analysis utility to do this. Submit two XML files, each containing UDEF IDs as illustrated by the input sample and the target sample. One should be from a source system and the other from a target system that need to exchange data.

How to Download the UDEF

You can download the UDEF definitions, in XML or in RDF format, for use in your enterprise. To do this, you must join the UDEF Interested Parties Group. Membership in this group is free. As well as enabling you to download the UDEF definitions, it will give you access to more information about the UDEF, and allow you to contact other users of the UDEF, and UDEF experts.

The existing UDEF definitions cover many of the basic data element concepts that may be used within an enterprise. If you find that you need additional UDEF definitions, then you can request extensions to the UDEF by sending e-mail to udef-extension@opengroup.org. Before doing so, you should read Extending the Universal Data Element Framework. By submitting a request for an extension, you become a Contributor under the UDEF Contribution Agreement, and you agree to the terms of that agreement.

The UDEF Project and Interested Parties Group

The UDEF Interested Parties Group is for people interested in the UDEF. It is managed by The Open Group to enable those people to obtain and exchange information about the UDEF. Membership is free. Join the group.

The UDEF Project controls the development of the UDEF. It is a project of the Semantic Interoperability Working Group of The Open Group, and its members are organizations that are Open Group Members. Membership will enable you to have a voice in the development of the UDEF, and to contribute to the overall objectives of The Open Group.