Managing Technical Content in an Enterprise XML Authoring Environment

Managing Technical Content in an Enterprise XML Authoring Environment Paul Masalsky Software Engineering Manager, EMC

Myths about moving to XML
“ Documentation’s business role doesn’t change with XML authoring.”
“ I converted a document to XML. Therefore I conquered XML authoring.”
“ Technical doc deliverables can satisfy customers.”
“ XML is SEXY .”

About EMC
2007 revenue: $12.7B
1.4B R&D investment
Employees: ~41,000
15,000 outside the US
4 major business units
Information storage
Content management/archiving
RSA information security
VMWare virtual infrastructure
EMC AND BUSINESS UNITS

About EMC: Future of digital information
World: 161 exabytes created ( 2006) 3 million times more than all words in all books ever written
988 exabytes will be created in 2010
“ I’m sorry, I meant… 100 billion dollars.”
1 gigabyte = Beethoven’s 5th Symphony
1 terabyte = All x-rays in a large hospital
1 petabyte = Half all US academic research library content
5 exabytes = All the words people have ever spoken
1 zetabyte = All grains of sand on all beaches in the world
2.0 billion 1.6 billion Email boxes 1.3 billion 800 million Broadband internet users 26 billion 3 billion Digital music downloads 200+ 100 Digital images 300+ billion 150 billion Digital cameras 2010 2006

EMC structured authoring objectives
Cost reduction
Translation: .17 to .47 per word
Average help system: 250 words, 1000 help topics, * .32 = $80,000
People: Focus on content
Accelerated time-to-market
Processes: Standardize for review/approval, translation, etc.
Tools: Standardize on one set of tools and “eat our own dog food”
Branding: Re-brand content from OEMs, vendors, partners
Consistency: Content structure, style, look/feel
Dynamic content generation
Reuse
Improved customer experience
Simultaneous shipment

EMC’s UPD (dynamic publishing application) http://www.emc.com/products/systems/clariion/ax100/support/support2.jsp

Enterprise XML authoring environment EMC Enterprise Structured Authoring (ESA) Multiple Output Types Multiple Doc Types Specs User Guides Training Collateral Authors/Subject Matter Experts Designers Web/HTML Print/PDF Handheld/ Wireless CD-ROM Translation Localization Conversion CMS Automated Assembly and Publishing Server

DITA to the rescue
Darwin: Allows for evolution of content types through inheritance and specialization.
Information Typing: Provides an information architecture for technical documents with base topic types of Concept, Task, and Reference.
Architecture: A model for extension of both design and processes.
Sources: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-dita1 , Dr. JoAnn Hackos, CIDM

EMC DITA object types emc_glossary emc_task api_reference cli_reference param_reference msg_reference DITA_Map Bookmap Release_Notes Map topic task concept reference

DITA advantages
Information managed as chunks
Increased usability and consistency of information
Content single sourced to output formats
Increased reuse potential
Specialization allows for evolution of object model
Chunking allows for localization cost reduction

Preparing to convert docs to DITA
Update Frame and RoboHelp styles
Rewrite unstructured content to fit information architecture
Identify areas for potential reuse and single sourcing
Evaluate conversion software
Consider creating custom scripts (EMC uses Mif2go, custom XSLT)
FRAME STYLES
Heading2Task
Heading2Task_EMC
Heading2Concept
Heading2Concept_Glossary
Heading2Reference
Heading2Reference_API
Heading2Reference_CLI
Heading2Reference_Error_Message
Heading2Reference_Parameters
Heading3Task
Heading3Task_EMC
Heading3Concept
Heading3Concept_Glossary
Heading3Reference
Heading3Reference_API
Heading3Reference_CLI
Heading3Reference_Error_Message
Heading3Reference_Parametersz

Authoring in ESA

Importing content into the CMS CMS Interface

Client authoring with DITA and a CMS
Checkin and checkout DITA source content
Preview documents locally (via DITA maps)
Search the CMS content repository
Insert links and references
Create new DITA topics (with specializations)
Publish DITA content:
Render PDF, HTML, Javahelp, WinHelp, RTF, PS
XSL, XSL/FO style sheets
CTS integration
Support for profiling

Updating DITA maps XMetaL map editor

Updating DITA topics Checking in an object

Linking to DITA content Inserting a cross reference

Inserting DITA references Inserting content references, reusable components

Publishing documents Transforming to PDF or help

Sample PDF output

Sample Webhelp output

Localization workflow

Getting started EMC RapidDeploy Fully integrates XML-based, single-source publishing, designed to be operational and delivering ROI in six weeks .
Requirements specification and design
Installation and configuration
Testing
Knowledge transfer
Project management
Production deployment

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Managing Technical Content in an Enterprise XML Authoring Environment

by Paul Masalsky on Oct 05, 2008

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Managing Technical Content in an Enterprise XML Authoring Environment — Presentation Transcript