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  SIF Specifications


SIF Implementation Specification

The SIF Implementation Specification is based on the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) endorsed Extensible Markup Language (XML) which is not linked to a specific operating system or platform.
XML defines common data formats and rules of interaction and architecture.

Event Reporting is a Publish/Subscribe Model.
Events are published/reported by each application and are received by other applications that have subscribed to them.

DataProvision is a Request/Response Model.
An application agent may register itself to the ZIS as a provider of certain data objects. This allows the ZIS to satisfy a query request from an agent to locate the provider of a data object. The ZIS acts as the intermediary, forwarding the request to the agent, receiving the response, and then forwarding the response back to the original requester.

Messages are securely encrypted using HTTPS.
HTTPS is the most commonly used secure method of exchanging data among web browsers.

Agents are authenticated by the ZIS before messages are passed.

Message processing includes message validation and message identification.
Guaranteed message delivery.

By using the SIF Implementation Specification in administrative and instructional K-12 products, you will:

  • Enhance product functionality efficiently
  • Facilitate data sharing without incurring expensive customer development costs
  • Leverage co-marketing opportunities with partners and distributors provide best of breed solutions to customers easily and seamlessly
  • Join industry leaders in creating the next generation framework for education technology
Version Release Date Resources Certification
2.4 June 11, 2010 Publicly hosted XML Schema is at http://specification.sifinfo.org/Implementation/2.4/XSD/SIF_Message.xsd  
2.3 February 12, 2009 Publicly hosted XML Schema is at http://specification.sifinfo.org/Implementation/2.3/XSD/SIF_Message.xsd  
2.2 March 17, 2008 Publicly hosted XML Schema is at
http://specification.sifinfo.org/Implementation/2.2/XSD/SIF_Message.xsd
 
2.1 September 18, 2007 Publicly hosted XML Schema is at
http://specification.sifinfo.org/Implementation/2.1/XSD/SIF_Message.xsd
 
2.0r1 June 19, 2007 Publicly hosted XML Schema is at
http://specification.sifinfo.org/Implementation/2.0r1/XSD/SIF_Message.xsd
For more information on SIF 2 Enabled Application Product Standard Certification, click here.
1.5r1 October 11, 2004 Download all DTD files
Publicly hosted DTD is at http://www.sifinfo.org/infrastructure/1.5r1/
DTD/SIF_Message.dtd


Download all XML Schema files
Publicly hosted XML Schema is at http://www.sifinfo.org/infrastructure/1.5r1/
XSD/SIF_Message.xsd
For more information on SIF-enabled Application Product Standard 1.5 Certification, click here.
1.1 February 6, 2003 Download all DTD files
Publicly hosted DTD is at http://www.sifinfo.org/infrastructure/1.1/
DTD/SIF_Message.dtd


Download all XML Schema files
Publicly hosted XML Schema is at http://www.sifinfo.org/infrastructure/1.1/
XSD/SIF_Message.xsd
 

For specific guidance on Custom and Configuration-Specific Functionality, please visit here in the Knowledgebase.

SIF Reporting Web Service Specification

The SIF Reporting Web Service is designed independently of SIF Implementation Specification versions to allow applications outside of SIF Zones to access the wealth of data in those Zones via SIF´s reporting objects, ReportManifest, SIF_ReportObject and ReportAuthorityInfo. A Reporting service implementation may be closely bound to the reporting capabilities of a given Zone or Zones, or it may provide ad hoc access to data via the report generation capabilities of the service implementation itself. In either case, with the availability of this service description, state agencies, school districts, schools and other entities have an industry-standard method for retrieving report data from SIF Zones without knowledge of the internal details of—or the need to participate directly in the day-to-day operations of—given SIF Zones/Implementations.

Version Release Date Notes
1.0 October 18, 2006 The latest approved version of the SIF Reporting Web Service Specification.

Knowledgebase

For official guidance from the SIF Association on topics related to SIF specifications and implementation, click here.



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