Information model

The International Data Spaces information model is used for the standards-compliant semantic description of all players and resources in a data space.  All components interacting in a data space, such as the connector of a data provider, deliver information about themselves on request with the information model as the schema.  All messages sent in a data space, such as the inquiry to a broker whether weather data for North Rhine-Westphalia from the year 2019 are available at a price of less than 10 euros per month, have a uniform header specified by the information model.  Ultimately all available data resources, such as an end point from which the weather data can be queried, are described by metadata in accordance with the information model.  The information model is freely available and developed further as a public GitHub project.

In order to structure data and metadata according to standards that are known as widely as possible, the operator of a connector can use semantic vocabularies (also called schemas or ontologies). An operator of a connector can reuse existing vocabularies, create new own vocabularies, or work with other operators on new vocabularies provided via vocabulary hubs.  Vocabulary hubs are central servers that store and publish vocabularies, and also facilitate their shared preparation and further development. Such collaboration can encompass searching, selecting, reconciling, updating, change requests, version management, deleting, and the identification of duplicates and unused vocabulary. Vocabulary hubs require administration.