Welcome

 

The Global SIF Infrastructure wraps data in an API for movement across a network.

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 middleware implementations, other than their ability to support technologies leveraged as the foundation for SIF.

Every SIF Specification release consists of two major components:

·        The Data Model which includes the set of JSON & XML schemas that define the payload formats of educational “objects” as they are exchanged between SIF-compliant applications.

·        The Infrastructure which defines the transport and messaging functionality of the secure and robust “wire” over which those payloads are securely exchanged.


Approachable
Thoroughly modern, the Global SIF Infrastructure leverages a REST based approach to data exchange.  It defines, coordinates, and standardizes the ways in which multiple RESTful clients can access RESTful services.  Enjoy familiar documentation through our OpenAPI driven ReDoc web interface.

Flexible

While the Global SIF Infrastructure is powered by JSON and XML payload formats, it isn’t choosy about what it moves.  In the wild we have seen comma separated values, pictures, and even end-to-end encrypted payloads.

Supported

Over twenty years of continuous community development has brought us to this point.  The work continues!  One of the biggest pieces is real world testing across multiple platforms.  Don’t get stuck with an API that doesn’t play well with your toolchain!

Scalable

The Global SIF Infrastructure is built for efficiency from the first exchange and includes many scalability features to keep data moving as fast as you need it to.  Start with familiar REST calls, then keep using REST to keep up to date through multiple mechanisms.  You can even take it all the way to real-time.

Secure

The Global SIF Infrastructure leverage familiar authentication mechanisms and internet grade security to keep your data on the wire as safe as your money.  If you need more, enjoy the flexibility to encrypt your data payloads in part or in full without breaking routing.

Private

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) has changed the privacy landscape and the Global SIF Infrastructure has risen to the challenge by including a Privacy Obligation Document (POD) service.  These PODs describe: laws, contract clauses, obligations, benchmarks, retainment rules, and key contacts.  The Global SIF Infrastructure makes GDPR compliance affirmable with every exchange and key parts of it enforceable through our Data Protection Enforcer Service model.
Open

The Global SIF Infrastructure is publicly available and free to use!  The SIF Implementation Specifications are available under an Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ). Entities must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. Modifications of this license and derivatives need to be licensed under the same terms, but not other works in the compilation or collection. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original. Entities may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.