1 Preamble

1.1 Abstract

1.1.1 What is SIF?

The Systems Interoperability Framework (SIF) is not a product, but a technical blueprint for enabling diverse applications to interact and share data related to entities in the education, skills and children's services (escs) sector. SIF is designed to:

• Facilitate data sharing and reporting between applications without incurring expensive customer development costs;
• Enhance product functionality efficiently; and
• Provide best-of-breed solutions to customers easily and seamlessly.

The SIF Implementation Specification defines:

• an XML-based messaging framework that allows diverse software applications to interoperate and share and report data related to entities in the education, skills and children's services instructional and administrative environment;
• an HTTP(S)-based transport for conveying these SIF messages;
• an abstract, platform-independent definition of a message queue for reliable delivery of asynchronous SIF messages and related synchronous administrative functions—the Zone Integration Server (ZIS); and
• an abstract, platform-independent definition of the interface between a software application and the ZIS—the SIF Agent.

These are known collectively as the SIF Infrastructure. The SIF Implementation Specification also defines the SIF Data Model:

• an XML-based data model that models entities in the escs sector as SIF Data Objects to be shared between applications.

A SIF Zone is a distributed system that consists of a ZIS and one or more software applications with a SIF Agent (a SIF-enabled application) sharing/reporting one or more SIF data objects over a network. A SIF Implementation consists of one or more SIF Zones deployed and configured to meet customer data sharing and reporting needs.

The SIF Implementation Specification defines architecture requirements and communication protocols for software components and the interfaces between them; it makes no assumption of specific hardware or software products needed to develop SIF-enabled applications and Zone Integration Server implementations, other than their ability to support technologies leveraged as the foundation for SIF, most prominently XML and HTTP(S).

1.1.1.1 What is SIF (UK)?

1.1.1.2 Systems Interoperability Framework Association

The SIF Association is an industry initiative to enable interoperability and data sharing between software applications in the education, skills and children's services (escs) sector, and the forum for companies and educators to participate in the development of SIF specifications in the SIF Association's working groups and task forces. The SIF Association is designed to:

• Join industry leaders in creating the next-generation framework for education technology; and
• Leverage co-marketing opportunities with partners and distributors.

1.2 Disclaimer

The information, software, products, and services included in the SIF Implementation Specification may include inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically added to the information herein. The SIF Association may make improvements and/or changes in this document at any time without notification. Information contained in this document should not be relied upon for personal, medical, legal, or financial decisions. Appropriate professionals should be consulted for advice tailored to specific situations.

THE SIF ASSOCIATION, ITS PARTICIPANT(S), AND THIRD PARTY CONTENT PROVIDERS MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE SUITABILITY, RELIABILITY, TIMELINESS, AND ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND RELATED GRAPHICS CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT FOR ANY PURPOSE. ALL SUCH INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND RELATED GRAPHICS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. THE SIF ASSOCIATION AND/OR ITS PARTICIPANT(S) HEREBY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS WITH REGARD TO THIS INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND RELATED GRAPHICS, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE SIF ASSOCIATION, ITS PARTICIPANT(S), OR THIRD PARTY CONTENT PROVIDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS DOCUMENT, WITH THE DELAY OR INABILITY TO USE THE DOCUMENT, THE PROVISION OF OR FAILURE TO PROVIDE SERVICES, OR FOR ANY INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS OBTAINED THROUGH THIS DOCUMENT OR OTHERWISE ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS DOCUMENT, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF THE SIF ASSOCIATION, ITS PARTICIPANT(S), OR THIRD PARTY CONTENT PROVIDERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME STATES/JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH ANY PORTION OF THIS DOCUMENT OR WITH ANY OF THESE TERMS OF USE, YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY IS TO DISCONTINUE USING THIS DOCUMENT.

This specification is released with the following provisos to developers and educators.

1.3 Certification and Compliance Claims

1.4 Permissions and Copyright

Copyright® SIF Association (2011). All Rights Reserved.

This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are included on all such copies and derivative works. However, this document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing the copyright notice or references to the SIF Association, or its committees, except as needed for the purpose of developing SIF standards using procedures approved by the SIF Association, or as required to translate it into languages other than English. The limited permissions granted above are perpetual and will not be revoked by the SIF Association or its successors or assigns.