Master Data Service

As stated in Event Service, and reiterated here for reference, the EPCIS-related services deal with two types of data: event data and master data.

Event data arises in the course of carrying out business processes, and is captured through the EPCIS capture interface and made available for query through the EPCIS query interface. An example of event data is "At Time T, Object X was observed at Location L." Event data is captured at the edge and sent (SOAP, JMS, or HTTP) either to an RFID Enterprise Server for storage in the event repository or directly to an application.

Event data grows in quantity as more business is transacted, and refers to things that happen at specific moments in time. There is no mechanism to delete or modify an event; events are retracted or corrected via a new event whose business meaning is to rescind or amend the effect of a prior event.

For more information about the event service, and an introductory figure that shows the relationship between event data and master data, see Event Service.

Master data is additional data that provides the necessary context for interpreting event data. It is available for filtering a query through the EPCIS Query Interface, and available as part of a report through the Reporting Service. An example of master data is "Location L refers to the distribution center located at 123 Elm Street, Anytown, US." Master data does not come from the edge; it is created and maintained through the Master Data Administration Console, which is provided with WebLogic RFID Enterprise Server.

Master data does not grow merely because more business is transacted. It is not typically tied to specific moments in time and provides interpretation for elements of event data.

Figure 4-1 Master Data Service

Master Data Service

Master data is business-context information that is associated with event data by the reporting service and by the data exchange service (queries for events can include parameters that filter query results based on master data).

Master data is not present in the captured event data in the WebLogic RFID Enterprise Server 2.0 release; it is created and maintained separately. The relationship between event data and master data is that event data can be used as an index into relevant master data. For example, consider an event that contains following event type and value:

Unless you already know the answer, the URN representation provides data but not much information. However, when the URN is used as a master data Business Location entry which reference a set of master data attributes, you can associate useful information with the event. This association is shown in Figure 3-2, Event and Master Data, on page 3-5, where urn:epc:id:sgln:0614141.33254.0 references the following master data attributes:

Thus the ability to create master data and associate it with information contained in events provides an efficient mechanism for associating additional business information with tag data.

Master Data Types

Each master data type defines a set of attributes and their data types; for example, as shipped, the Business Location type defines an attribute named address1, whose URI is urn:epcglobal:epcis:mda:name, and whose data type is String (Master Data Entries, Attributes, and Children provides tables that list the attributes for master data types.)

Types and the attributes associated with them are extensible: you can use the WebLogic RFID Enterprise Server Master Data Administration Console to create and modify master data types, entries, and attributes.

Table 4-1 shows the master data type name for each event type that has a master data type associated with it.

Table 4-1 Field Events and Associated Master Data Types
Field Event Name	Associated Master Data Type and Formal URI Name
`bizLocation`	Business Location `URI="urn:epcglobal:epcis:vtype:BusinessLocation"`
`bizStep`	Business Step `URI="urn:epcglobal:epcis:vtype:BusinessStep"`
`bizTransactionList`	`bizTransaction`: Business Transaction `URI="urn:epcglobal:epcis:vtype:BusinessTransaction"` `type`: Business Transaction Type `URI="urn:epcglobal:epcis:vtype:BusinessTransactionType"`
`disposition`	Disposition `URI="urn:epcglobal:epcis:vtype:Disposition"`
`epcClass`	EPC Class `URI="urn:epcglobal:epcis:vtype:EPCClass"`
`readPoint`	Read Point `URI ="urn:epcglobal:epcis:vtype:ReadPoint"`

Master Data Entries, Attributes, and Children

A master data entry is a concrete instance of a master data type. You can create as many entries as you need of each master data type. Each entry has the same set of attributes defined for its master data type, but where the master data type defines the data type for each attribute, an entry's attributes contain the real business-context information associated with a business's operations.

For example, the master data type Business Location defines an attribute address1 of type String. A master data Business Location entry could define address1 as 123 Elm Street.

In addition to attributes that provide concrete business information, an entry's attribute list can contain zero or more children. A child is the identifier of another master data entry within the same master data type. You can create a hierarchy of entries when it makes business sense to do so. For example, assume three Business Location entries that reference "Acme Corp. Retail Store #3," "Acme Corp. Retail Store #3 Backroom," and "Acme Corp. Retail Store #3 Sales Floor." In this example, there is a natural hierarchical relationship in which the first entry is the parent and the latter two entries are children.

This ability to create a hierarchical parent/child relationship among entries is useful for establishing informative relationships among entries. For example, you have a Business Location entry that represents a building. You create a child entry for each floor in the building. Each floor entry has child entries that represent discrete areas such as "billing office," "store room," "receiving," "storage," etc.

One additional relationship that you can establish between entries is that an entry can be the child of more than one parent. This allows for more than one way of grouping entries; for example, locations could be grouped both by geography and by function.

In Figure 4-2, urn:epc:id:sgln:0614141.33254.1 is a child of the master data entry urn:epc:id:sgln:0614141.33254.0.

WebLogic RFID Enterprise Server 2.0 provides the following pre-defined attributes for each business type:

Table 4-2 Business Location and Read Point Attributes
Name	URI
Name	urn:epcglobal:epcis:mda:name
Description	urn:epcglobal:epcis:mda:description
Address1	urn:epcglobal:epcis:mda:address1
Address2	urn:epcglobal:epcis:mda:address2
Adress3	urn:epcglobal:epcis:mda:address3
City	urn:epcglobal:epcis:mda:city
State or province	urn:epcglobal:epcis:mda:stateProvince
Country	urn:epcglobal:epcis:mda:country
Postal code	urn:epcglobal:epcis:mda:postalCode
FMCG GLN	urn:epcglobal:fmcg:mda:gln
FMCG site sublocation type	urn:epcglobal:fmcg:mda:sslt
FMCG site sublocation attributes	urn:epcglobal:fmcg:mda:sslta
FMCG site location extension	urn:epcglobal:fmcg:mda:sle

Master Data XML Example

A master data type is represented by the <Vocabulary> element
A master data entry is represented by the <VocabularyElement> element
A master data attribute is represented by the <attribute> element
A master data child is represented by the <children> element

<EPCISMasterDataBody>
    <VocabularyList>
      <Vocabulary type="urn:epcglobal:epcis:vtype:BusinessLocation">
        <VocabularyElementList>
          <VocabularyElement id="urn:epc:id:sgln:0614141.33254.0">
            <attribute id="urn:epcglobal:fmcg:mda:sslt:warehouse"/>
          </VocabularyElement>
          <VocabularyElement id="urn:epc:id:sgln:0614141.33482.0">
            <attribute id="urn:epcglobal:fmcg:mda:sslt:retail"/>
            <attribute id="urn:epcglobal:fmcg:mda:address">
              <acme:Address
                xmlns:acme="http://acme.com/types">
                <Street>100 Nowhere Street</Street>
                <City>Omaha</City>
                <State>NB</State>
                <Zip>70475</Zip>
              </sample:Address>
            </attribute>
            <children>
              <id>urn:epcglobal:fmcg:ssl:0614141.33482.201</id>
            </children>
          </VocabularyElement>
          <VocabularyElement id="urn:epcglobal:fmcg:ssl:0614141.33482.201">
            <attribute id="urn:epcglobal:fmcg:mda:sslt:201"/>
          </VocabularyElement>
        </VocabularyElementList>
      </Vocabulary>
    </VocabularyList>
</EPCISMasterDataBody>

Understanding the Event, Master Data, and Data Exchange Services

Master Data Service

Master Data Types

Master Data Entries, Attributes, and Children

Master Data XML Example