Global Reference Architecture (GRA)
(Formerly known as Justice Reference Architecture)

GRA Mission: To enhance justice and public safety through a service-oriented approach to information sharing. We accomplish this mission by providing a reference architecture with guidance for identifying, defining, implementing, and governing services.
 

NOTE:  As a part of Global’s effort to support information sharing activities that span jurisdictional boundaries within and outside of criminal justice, the Justice Reference Architecture (JRA) has been rebranded to the Global Reference Architecture (GRA).  This change will not introduce any significant technical modifications to the architecture, but is rather intended to provide a more inclusive service-oriented model that will meet the broader needs of justice, public safety, homeland security, health and human services, and additional stakeholders.  The GRA, therefore, is designed to be an information sharing architecture that will meet the needs of government at all levels, and fulfill the need for improved collaboration across communities.
 

 The Global Reference Architecture (GRA) is an information exchange solution designed to cut 80 percent of implementation time and costs for state and local justice agencies through reuse of established promising practices in IT architecture and design.
 

Efforts to develop a reusable information sharing solution specific to the justice domain began in the Global Infrastructure/Standards Working Group (GISWG), specifically the Services Task Team (STT), with leadership from Thomas Clarke and James Douglas. Today, under the oversight of the Global Standard Council (GSC), the STT serves two functions: 1) the creation and/or review of new Reference Service Specifications to provide the opportunity for reuse in the field, and 2) review of GRA implementations that have the potential for reuse by other agencies. Additionally, the STT recently identified the most critical information exchange priorities for the national justice community through the input of representatives across the justice domain, publishing the results in the Priorities Definition Workshop Summary Report.

 

GRA Services in Further Detail

The Global Standards Council has authored the working draft document titled Global Reference Architecture Services to describe in detail GRA services, Service Specification Packages (SSPs), and the Services Task Team (STT). This information is meant to help current and potential users better understand GRA and its components.

 

GRA Components

The GRA addresses various areas in the implementation of information exchange. Together, these areas form critical components of a comprehensive, replicable, and scalable solution to information sharing that balances varied technologies with dynamic policy considerations:
 

• Reference Architecture Planning
  The GRA includes recommendations for technical implementation that leverage Service Oriented Architecture concepts, customized for the justice domain. GRA addresses the full range of information sharing use cases by providing a flexible blueprint for implementing interoperable data sharing services across both technologically advanced organizations and those with limited technology resources. Guidelines for beginning implementation projects are available below.
   
• Service Specification Packages
  GRA solutions to information exchange are made up of a combination of the connection method (often Web Services), the exchange language (use of NIEM is encouraged), and the security specifications (encryption at the transport layer, data layer, etc.). These specifications are packaged into a GRA solution that can be customized to meet an individual organization’s needs. A repository of Reference Service Specification Packages (SSPs) for information exchange in the justice community is being established; however, individual Reference SSPs are available below in the interim.
   
• Technical Implementation Guidance
  Integrating a Reference Service Specifications Package (SSP) into existing IT infrastructure, despite the level of customization available in a Reference SSP, can involve a learning curve for those new to the implementation of GRA. Technical guidance regarding the GRA specification itself, as well as various guides on the interaction of different services and other aspects of information exchange, are available below. In addition, personal assistance in implementing GRA is available through a number of valuable resources. See the Implementation Assistance section for more information. In addition, for those practitioners who are interested in learning more about architectural compatibility issues known to exist between the Global Reference Architecture and REpresentational State Transfer (REST) services, please direct your attention to this technical note. Global Reference Architecture REST Technical Note September 2011
   
• Policy Guidance
  In coordination with the technical implementation of a GRA Reference Service Specification Package, policy-level documents guide interaction between the agencies exchanging information. Examples include Service Level Agreements (SLA), access and identity management specifications, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), and many others. While these documents are never specific to GRA implementations, some specific resources available below may be helpful in policy agreements.

 The artifacts listed below are specific standards associated with the GRA.  To view a complete listing of all Global information sharing standards, please follow this link to the Global Standards Package.