https://cabig-kc.nci.nih.gov/Vocab/KC/index.php/LexEVS_Highlights
The following information was designed to give an overview of the functionality contained within the Lexical Grid Enterprise Vocabulary Services (LexEVS). As a beginner or experienced terminologist you will find this information useful when choosing if the LexEVS services are right for your institution or application.
Each area of LexEVS is broken down with its primary value proposition and additional items for you to consider.
Service Area |
Main Functions |
Additional Functional Qualification |
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Model: The LexGrid model is Mayo Clinic's proposal for standard storage of controlled vocabularies and ontologies. These are the high-level objects incorporated into the model definition. |
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Authoring - The APIs provide the capability to author a Code System and its contents. |
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Versioning - An ordered collection of state changes that define the transformation of a set of resources from one consistent state to another. |
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CTS - Comprehensive support for Common Terminology Services. |
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Mapping - Concept, Instance, or Association mapping between two different ontologies. |
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Value Set - Value Set Definition within the LexGrid logical model defines the contents of a Value Set. The contents are coded entities defined in the referenced Code System. |
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Exporters |
LexEVS includes predefined exporters. | * LexGrid XML exporter with filter functionalities
- OBO exporter
OWL/RDF exporter | Supports the versioning of concepts, value sets, and terminologies.
- Create custom exporters using the Exporter Framework extension. |
Query
LexEVS provides a set of query services and APIs | * By Entity - Code Node Set.
- By association - Code Node Graph.
- Concept Domain Query API - provides capability to query Concept Domain available in the LexEVS system and also to query the binding between Value Set and Concept Domain.
- Usage Context Query API - provides capability to query Usage Context available in the LexEVS system and also to query the binding between Value Set and Concept Domain in conjunction with Usage Context.
Value Set Query API - provides capability to query Value Sets available in the LexEVS system and also to query the binding between Value Set and concept domain. | Provides answers to queries concerning the LexEVS system capabilities, terminologies supported, relationship types, search algorithms, and versions.
- Provides answers to queries concerning terminology properties.
- Supports search based on all concept properties and relationships.
- Supports a variety of robust and varied methods for querying the LexEVS system.
- Presents more than one concept at time for comparison purposes.
- Supports search based on any of a concept's properties or relationships. |
Web services
LexEVS provides a couple of web services. | * SOAP
REST | Prototype functionality provided prior to and including LexEVS 6.0.
- LexEVS 6.1 will broaden and harden these interfaces. |
Extensibility
LexEVS provides extendability through a pluggable framework for use locally or as contributions to the community via open source. | * The LexEVS APIs, the core APIs, fall into three primary categories:
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- Core services - Includes the LexBIGService, LexBIGServiceManager, CodedNodeSet and CodedNodeGraph classes, which provide the initial entry points for programmatic access to all LexEVS system features and data.
- Service extensions - The extension mechanism provides for pluggable features. Current extension points allow for the introduction of custom load and indexing mechanisms; unique query, sort, and filter mechanisms; and generic functional extensions which can be advertised for availability to client programs.
- Utilities - Utility classes, such as those implementing iterator support, are provided by the LexEVS system to provide convenience and optimize the handling of resources accessed through the LexEVS runtime.
- caCORE Data Services API: it is a public domain, open source wrapper that provides full access to the LexEVS Terminology Server. LexEVS hosts the NCI Thesaurus, the NCI Metathesaurus, and several other vocabularies.
- Analytical Grid Service API: uses a version of the LexGRID/LexBIG model, extended to support ISO 21090 Datatypes, and fits for Grid Client Applications.
- Data Grid Services API: is a standard caGrid Data service. See caGrid Data Service Documentation and caGrid Data Service API Documentation for more information.
Preliminary CTS2 API: provides programmatic access to LexEVS 6.0 implementation of CTS 2 features and services. Developers can build custom applications, tools, and services that can make calls as per CTS 2 specification against LexEVS CTS 2 API. Visit Common Terminology Services 2 for services description, purpose and scope of CTS 2 specification. | LexEVS uses an open architecture supporting extensions created by external organizations.
- The LexEVS code base and documentation of algorithms (including description logic) is open source to support maintenance and extensibility. |
Semantic Web
LexEVS supports the semantic web. | * OWL/RDF loader and API.
- OWL/RDF exporter and API.
OWL/RDF exporter can export an ontology to a triple store, based on Jena 2.6.3. | Import and export functions can be executed via APIs, command line, or GUI. |
Other |
Relevant non-functional attributes are typically covered by the underlying architecture. | * Security
- Availability
- Backup and Recovery
- Scalability and performance
License | Custom security implementation configurable per Coding System in a distributed environment.
- Install instructions contain recommended approaches for certain database management systems.
- Conforms to licensing needs. |