Secure Information Transfer Layer
NEO contains an advanced connection interface so that data can be shared with other data management applications.
Interfacing
This data exchange is via the NEO Secure Information Transfer Layer (SITL).
SITL can be used to load data into NEO as well as export data from it. The SITL Application Programmer’s Interface (API) allows the exchange of data using one of the MegaNexus common data formats. The API uses a REST-like interface which means that nearly any computer language can be used to communicate over HTTP with our SITL server.
MegaNexus has developed a number of common data formats to exchange a wide variety of data (from data about people to information about resources). These common data formats are written using Extensible Markup Language (XML). XML is a general-purpose specification for creating custom markup languages. This ensures a message format which is platform and language-independent, widely understood and easily validated. The structure of these XML files is determined using an XML Schema Definition (XSD), which defines constraints on an XML document's logical structure.
For data imports SITL, is responsible for parsing a submitted data file, validating the data, and importing it into NEO. For data exports SITL, produces a data file which conforms to one of the common data formats. To achieve this, SITL uses applications invoked remotely to process requests from other systems without those systems needing to know anything about the implementation behind the service interface. These web services can be used by applications built using Java, .Net or other technologies.
HTTPS is the standard transport protocol for interactions with SITL. External systems will be issued with SSL certificates in order that they can connect their client applications to SITL.
Although HTTPS ensures the security of the XML messages and a level of authentication by means of client certificates, a secondary level of authentication is required to ensure that the individual organisation is permitted to invoke the service. As multiple organisations may be using the same security certificate, a mechanism is in place within SITL which can be used to deny access to an individual organisation. The same mechanism will also restrict access to the individual web service operations.
Scheduled as well as real time data exchange is permitted through SITL.
