Chief Information Officer
IC Technical Specifications
XML Data Encoding Specification for Intelligence Community Enterprise Data Header
Overview
This XML Data Encoding Specification for Enterprise Data Header (EDH.XML) defines detailed implementation guidance for using Extensible Markup Language (XML) to encode EDH data. This Data Encoding Specification (DES) defines the XML elements and attributes, associated structures and relationships, mandatory and cardinality requirements, and permissible values for representing enterprise data header data concepts using XML.
This specification is applicable to the Intelligence Community (IC) and information produced by, stored, or shared within the IC. This DES may have relevance outside the scope of intelligence; however, prior to applying outside of this defined scope, the DES should be closely scrutinized and differences separately documented and assessed for applicability.
This specification applies to the IC, as defined by the National Security Act of 1947, as amended; and such other elements of any other department or agency as may be designated by the President or designated jointly by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the head of the department or agency concerned, as an element of the IC. Joint and Coalition forces may use this specification, but it is not required.
Compliance with this specification is measured against all aspects of the technical and documentary artifacts contained within the specification release package.
This specification is maintained by the IC Chief Information Officer via the Data Standards Coordination Activity (DSCA) and Common Metadata Standards Tiger Team (CMSTT).
Technical Specification Downloads
Latest Approved Public Release:
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Intelligence Community Enterprise Data Header (V2019-MAR - Standalone Package)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Intelligence Community Enterprise Data Header (V2019-MAR - Convenience Package)
- XML Data Encoding Specification for Intelligence Community Enterprise Data Header (V2019-MAR - Light Package)
Mission Requirements
Information sharing within the national intelligence enterprise will increasingly rely on information assurance metadata (including enterprise data headers) to allow interagency access control, automated exchanges, and appropriate protection of shared intelligence. A structured, verifiable representation of security metadata bound to the intelligence data is required in order for the enterprise to become inherently "smarter" about the information flowing in and around it. Such a representation, when implemented with other data formats, improved user interfaces, and data processing utilities, can provide part of a larger, robust information assurance infrastructure capable of automating some of the management and exchange decisions today being performed by human beings.
The Intelligence Community (IC) has standardized the various classification and control markings established for information sharing within the Information Security Markings (ISM) specification. The IC Enterprise Data Header XML specification further expands on this body of work, adapting and extending it as necessary to meet mission-unique needs. By specifying a data object's header information required for exchange on the IC Enterprise, EDH ensures a secure method of information sharing and discovery, supporting use cases such as the IC Cloud.