DataReferenceModel Version2 11 2005/Sharing Data Through Data Access Services

5.2.3.3. Sharing Data through Data Access Services    (3XMN)

The discussion above focused on the transfer of data between repositories. Additional services are required to make data accessible to other services, to the applications that used them, and ultimately to the consumers of the data. The DRM Team performed a similar analysis to determine the services required to implement data access. The architect should ascertain the services that are required to support the COI in the use of its collection. These services address the data exchange element of the DRM abstract model.    (3XMO)

The services that the architect may be required to provision to support a COI’s information sharing requirements are delineated below.    (3XMP)

• Context Awareness Services: A context awareness service allows the users of a collection to rapidly identify the context (as defined above) of the data assets managed by the COI. Context information may be captured in a formalized data architecture, a metadata registry or a separate database.    (3XMQ)

• Structural Awareness Services: A structural awareness services allows data architects and database administrators to rapidly identify the structure of data within a data asset (i.e., a structural awareness services makes the Data Description as defined within the DRM available for use). Data Description information may be captured in a formalized data architecture, a metadata registry, or a separate database. Also, a number of commercial products are available to analyze and report data structures.    (3XMS)

• Transactional Services: A transactional services enables a transactional create, update or delete operations to an underlying data store while maintaining business and referential integrity rules. These services allow external services or end users to execute data related functions as a part of a workflow or business process. Most commercial products provide application programming interfaces that implement this type of service.    (3XMU)

• Data Query Services: A data query services enables a user, service or application to directly query a repository within a collection.    (3XMW)

• Content Search and Discovery Services: A search and discovery service enables free text search or search of metadata contained within the documents in a repository. The searchable metadata should include the Data Context as defined within the DRM abstract model.    (3XMY)

• Retrieval Services: A retrieval services enables an application to request return of a specific document from a repository based upon a unique identifier, such as a URL.    (3XN0)

• Subscription Services: A subscription service enables another service or an end user to nominate themselves to automatically receive new documents added to a repository in accordance with a predetermined policy or profile.    (3XN2)

• Notification Services: A notification service automatically alerts another service or an end user of changes of the content of a repository in accordance with a predetermined policy or profile.    (3XN4)