2016 SDMX Experts meeting, 17-20 October 2016, Aguascalientes, Mexico. More information at: http://www.oecd.org/std/sdmx-expert-group-meeting-2016.htm

1. Implementing SDMX
standards from
reception to
dissemination
An overview of ECB’s statistics
infrastructure
Alessandro Bonara
Statistical Information Services
European Central Bank

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Background
Implementing SDMX standards from reception to dissemination
The SDMX sponsors organization
→ BIS, ECB, Eurostat, IMF, OECD, United Nations and World Bank
maintaining and advancing of common (SDMX) technical and statistical standards
and guidelines together with an IT architecture and IT tools, to be used for the
efficient exchange and sharing of statistical data and metadata.
Objectives:
• Managing SDMX standards and guidelines
• Introducing maintaining and advancing the Global SDMX Data Structure
Definitions
• Creation of a common vocabulary for statistical metadata
• Development of a framework for metadata repositories
• Strengths data availability and coherence

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ECB involvement in all levels of the SDMX initiative
Implementing SDMX standards from reception to dissemination
Graph source: www.SDMX.org 3

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• Advantages of implementing SDMX
– ECB already used GESMES/TS data standard when the international
discussion of standardisation of data formats and the introduction of SDMX
started
– At that point the SDMX mission among other objectives, aimed to further
promote existing standards such as GESMES/TS potential to use the new
SDMX tools that were in the pipe for development
– No additional costs as a freeware
– At the time many other counterpart IOs were willing to implement SDMX which
guaranteed easy data sharing
• What are the alternative formats?
– XBRL and DDI (especially covering micro data)
– On the SDMX 2020 agenda - mapping between the SDMX standard and
existing standards
Implementing SDMX standards from reception to dissemination
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Why the ECB has chosen SDMX?

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SDMX at ECB
• SDMX standardises the way data and structural metadata are
organised and exchanged, in addition it provides international
guidelines on how to shape these data.
• In this respect the ECB’s statistical infrastructure uses the SDMX
standard in all of its base elements
• Same DSD is used from reception to dissemination (no mappings
at any stage)
• Mainly metadata driven statistical environment for
– data collection
– data storage
– data dissemination
Implementing SDMX standards from reception to dissemination
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Data exchange and data collection at ECB (1)
• Parties involved:
– EU national central banks
– EU national statistical institutes
– Eurostat
– IMF
– BIS
– OECD
– Other (some commercial providers)
– Internal ECB flows
• Using the following message formats: SDMX ML 2.1, SDMX ML
2.0, SDMX-EDI (using EDIFACT syntax and based on
the GESMES/TS statistical message)
• Very efficient in exchanging large data flows and full databases
Implementing SDMX standards from reception to dissemination
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Data exchange and data collection at ECB (2)
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RECEIVE
Via EXDI
SDMX-EDI
message
CHECK BEFORE LOAD
Header validation
against SDMX technical
specifications
Semantic checker
against the DSD
SDMX-ML 2.0
message
SDMX-ML 2.1
message
SDMX
Registry
NCBs
NSIs
Eurostat
IMF
BIS
OECD
Other

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Data storage and production
• Before loading the data validations on several levels
– Message structure (validation of the header of the file)
– Semantic checker (validation of the codes used based on the SDMX Registry)
• Data stored in FAME
• All data stored using the official SDMX concepts schemas, code
lists, key families, dataflows, etc.
• Support the SDMX Global DSDs (BOP, SNA)
Implementing SDMX standards from reception to dissemination
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Data dissemination: SDMX-ML on the ECB websites
• All published data is following the SDMX technical standards and
the SDMX information model
• Statistical Data Warehouse (SDW)
– SDMX compliant, using the SDMX information model
– Access to all public statistical data
– Access to metadata
– Data export functionality on the ECB Statistical Data Warehouse
– SDW web services (supporting SDMX-ML 2.1)
– Subscription & notification mechanism
• ECB statistical app (using SDMX WS to retrieve data from SDW )
• ECB webpage (using SDMX WS to retrieve data from SDW )
• Metadata disseminated to SDW and accessible via the ECB SDMX
Registries
Implementing SDMX standards from reception to dissemination
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10. Rubric
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RECEIVE
Via EXDI
SDMX - SDPE
LOAD
Java Suite
STORE AND CALCULATE
Production environment
SDMX
message
FAME DB
CHECK BEFORE LOAD
Header validation against
SDMX technical specifications
Semantic checker against the
DSD
RECEPTION
Implementing SDMX standards from reception to dissemination
NCBs OthersECB SDMX
Registry
CHECK BEFORE DISSEMINATION
SEND
Via EXDI
SDMX
message
ORACLE
SDW
SDW
website
ECB
website
ECBStatApp
Example – from reception to dissemination
FAME PRODUCTION
ENVIRONMENT
DISSEMINATION
FAME
Databank