XML support within IBM Security zSecure

XML has become the standard for cross-platform and intersystem communication. IBM® Security zSecure can transform your system data, security controls, and event (SMF) reports to make the best use of XML for your applications.

First some definitions:

XML (eXtensible Markup Language): A language composed of labels and values. The values are grouped in a context and can be represented as a tree.
DTD (Document Type Definition): The syntactic definition of the XML document, which is used to determine the validity of the document. The DTD contains a basic description of each element by describing its general format, identifying its possible attributes, and detailing its repeatability. The DTD can be internal to the document or externally referenced.
XSLT (eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations): A standardized XML-based collection of commands, also called a vocabulary or markup language, to transform the content and data stored within an XML document into a different form. An XSLT is referenced within the document that is to be transformed. zSecure provides a sample XSLT stylesheet; see Samples. For details, see The XML_STYLESHEET parameter.

An XML document is a file or data set with tags defining its content but not its format. This separation between content and format means that the same document can be processed with different XSLT styles sheets to produce different output. For example, an XML document can be processed against one XSLT stylesheet and produce an HTML file for display by a browser. That same XML document processed against a different XSLT stylesheet can produce a differently formatted report suited for display on a wireless device, and a third stylesheet might produce input appropriate for Microsoft Excel. There is no limit to the number of layouts that can be produced by the same XML document by applying different XSLT files. The real power of this becomes apparent with the realization that, because the data (XML document) is independent of the format (XSLT file), the input files can change, but as long as the document conforms to the DTD, it can be transformed by any XSLT file utilizing the DTD for the document.

These three files (XML, DTD, and XSLT) work together to produce a self-documenting database system readable by any platform or system recognizing XML. There are no proprietary data formats, as there are with most contemporary database systems. This means that any machine based (or human based) process can read and understand the basics of the data.

There is a fourth piece of the report output which is specific to zSecure. It is a data dictionary which, if requested, is imbedded within the generated document and assists the XSLT in formatting the XML document. The data dictionary is required for any XML reports requesting the default XSLT be used to format the output. The data dictionary is optional if the default XSLT is not used.

Although XML is generally used for B2B processes, it can also be used within an enterprise. For example, a zSecure XML report can be routed to a browser for display, or it can be viewed by other programs such as Microsoft Excel and other XML services using the XSLT to transform the data.