5.4 Data Sharing Section of the DRM Abstract Model (3YQN)
The Data Sharing section of the DRM abstract model covers two primary aspects of data sharing: (3YQO)
- Data Exchange: Fixed, recurring transactions between parties, such as the regular exchange of environmental testing data among federal, state, local, and tribal entities. These exchanges, as describe above, are implemented with data exchange services; (3YQP)
- Data Access: Requests for data services, such as a query of a Data Asset [20] . These requests, as described above, are supported by Data Access Services.; (3YQQ)
The Data Sharing standardization area is supported by the Data Description and Data Context standardization areas in the following ways: (3YQR)
- Data Description: Uniform definition of Exchange Packages and Query Points supports the capability to effectively share them within and between COIs; (3YQS)
- Data Context: Categorization of Exchange Packages and Query Points supports their discovery, and their subsequent use in data access and data exchange. (3YQT)
Detailed information about these aspects are defined within the DRM. As described above, the architect may use the Data Sharing section of the DRM abstract model as a means to organize and share information about the information sharing within the agency/COI that he or she supports. (3YQU)
The Data Sharing section of the DRM abstract model is shown in Figure 5-2. As in all previous chapters, it depicts the concepts that comprise relevant to the chapter. In this instance the model depicts the Data Sharing concepts for the DRM and the relationships between them. Concepts are expressed as boxes, while relationships are expressed as arrows. (3YQV)
Figure 5-2 Data Sharing Section of the DRM Abstract Model (3YQX)
The following are definitions for each of the concepts and relationships within the figure shown above. Conventions used are: (3YQY)
- Only “outbound” relationships are listed (i.e. those that originate from the concept); (3YQZ)
- The concepts are presented in an order that will ensure the best possible understanding, and specific examples are provided where appropriate; (3YR0)
- Though cardinality is not expressed in the figure, the descriptions below may include cardinality (e.g. “one or more”) for purposes of clarity; (3YR1)
- Concept names will be capitalized as in the figure itself (e.g. “Exchange Package”), while relationship names will be expressed in italics, and without any hyphens that may appear in the relationship name in the figure (e.g. “refers to”). This is done so that the definitions below can take on as narrative a tone as possible. The reader should therefore be able to easily visually navigate through the figure as they read the definitions below. (3YR2)
- Each concept will be referred to in a quantity of one (e.g. “An Exchange Package refers to an Entity”) for purposes of simplicity as the figure does not depict cardinality. However, implementations based on the DRM will introduce cardinality as needed according to their requirements. (3YR3)
- In some cases, concepts that are part of another standardization area are included in definitions and examples below. These concepts will not be described further in this chapter; the reader should reference the pertinent chapter for definitions and examples for those concepts. (3YR4)
- Exchange Package (3YS2)
- A description of a specific recurring data exchange between a Supplier and a Consumer. An Exchange Package contains information (metadata) relating to the exchange (such as Supplier ID, Consumer ID, validity period for data, etc.), as well as a reference to the Payload (message content) for the exchange. An Exchange Package can also be used to define the result format for a query that is accepted and processed by a Query Point in a data sharing scenario. (3YS6)
- Relationships (3YS5)
- An Exchange Package refers to an Entity (3YR7)
- An Exchange Package is disseminated to a Consumer (3YR8)
- An Exchange Package queries a Query Point (3YR9)
- An Exchange Package refers to a Payload Definition (3YRS)
- Example: An Exchange Package describes a specific recurring data exchange involving shipment information. (3YRA)
- Relationships: (3YRD)
- Consumer (3YS9)
- An entity (person or organization) that consumes data that is supplied by a Supplier. (3YRG)
- Relationships: (3YRH)
- Payload Definition (3YSA)
- An electronic definition that defines the requirements for the Payload (data) that is exchanged between a Supplier and a Consumer. (3YRJ)
- Relationships: (3YRK)
- Query Point (3YSB)
- An endpoint that provides an interface for accessing and querying a Data Asset. A concrete representation of a Query Point may be a specific URL at which a query Web Service may be invoked. (3YRM)
- Relationships: (3YRN)
[20] The term “data asset” is synonymous with “data source”. It is described within the Data Context chapter. (3YRR)