13 Data Provisioning

Last modified by Helena on 2025/07/16 02:12

Contents

- 13.1 Class Diagram
- 13.2 Explanation of the Diagram
  - 13.2.1 Narrative
  - 13.2.2 Definitions

13.1 Class Diagram

Figure 44: Relationship and inheritance class diagram of data/metadata provisioning

13.2 Explanation of the Diagram

13.2.1 Narrative

This sub model links many artefacts in the SDMX-IM and is pivotal to an SDMX metadata registry, as all of the artefacts in this sub model must be accessible to an application that is responsible for data and metadata registration or for an application that requires access to the data or metadata.

Whilst a registry contains all of the metadata depicted on the diagram above, the classes in the grey shaded area are specific to a registry-based scenario where data sources (either physical data and metadata sets or databases and metadata repositories) are registered. More details on how these classes are used in a registry scenario can be found in the SDMX Registry Interface document. (Section 5 of the SDMX Standards).

A ProvisionAgreement / MetadataProvisionAgreement links the artefact that defines how data / metadata are structured and classified (StructureUsage) to the DataProvider / MetadataProvider. By means of a data registration, it references the Datasource (data only), whether this be an SDMX conformant file on a website (SimpleDatasource) or a database service capable of supporting an SDMX query and responding with an SDMX conformant document (QueryDatasource).

The StructureUsage, which has concrete classes of Dataflow and Metadataflow identifies the corresponding DataStructureDefinition or

MetadataStructureDefinition, and, via Categorisation, can link to one or more Category(s) in a CategoryScheme such as a subject matter domain scheme, by which the StructureUsage can be classified. This can assist in drilling down from subject matter domains to find the data or metadata that may be relevant.

The SimpleDatasource links to the actual DataSet on a website (this is shown on the diagram as a dependency called “references”). The sourceURL is obtained during the registration process of the DataSet. Additional information about the content of the SimpleDatasource is stored in the registry in terms of a Constraint (see 12.3) for the Registration.

The QueryDatasource is an abstract class that represents a data source, which can understand an SDMX RESTful query (RESTDatasource) and respond appropriately. Each of these different Datasources inherit the dataURL from Datasource, and the QueryDatasource has an additional URL, the specURL, to locate the specification of the service (i.e., the open API specification for RESTDatasource), which describes how to access it. All other supported protocols are assumed to use the SimpleDatasource URL.

The diagram below shows in schematic way the essential navigation through the SDMX structural artefacts that eventually link to a data or metadata registration¹.

Figure 45: Schematic of the linking of structural metadata to data and metadata registration

13.2.2 Definitions

Class	Feature	Description
StructureUsage	Abstract class: Sub classes are: Dataflow Metadataflow	This is described in the Base.
	controlledBy	Association to the Provision Agreements that comprise the metadata related to the provision of data.
DataProvider		See Organisation Scheme.
	hasAgreement	Association to the Provision Agreements for which the provider supplies data or metadata.
	+source	Association to a data source, which can process a data query.
MetadataProvider		See Organisation Scheme.
	hasAgreement	Association to the Metadata Provision Agreements for which the provider supplies data or metadata.
	+source	Association to a metadata source, which can process a metadata query.
ProvisionAgreement		Links the Data Provider to the relevant Structure Usage (i.e., the Dataflow) for which the provider supplies data. The agreement may constrain the scope of the data that can be provided, by means of a DataConstraint.
	+source	Association to a data source, which can process a data query.
MetadataProvisionAgreement		Links the Metadata Provider to the relevant Structure Usage (i.e., the Metadataflow) for which the provider supplies metadata. The agreement may constrain the scope of the metadata that can be provided, by means of a MetadataConstraint.
	+source	Association to reference metadata source, which can process a metadata query.
Datasource	Abstract class Sub classes are: SimpleDatasource QueryDatasource	Identification of the location or service from where data or reference metadata can be obtained.
	+sourceURL	The URL of the data or reference metadata source (a file or a web service).
SimpleDatasource		An SDMX dataset accessible as a file at a URL.
QueryDatasource	Abstract class Inherits from: Datasource Sub classes are: RESTDatasource	A data source, which can process a data query.
RESTDatasource		A data source that is accessible via a RESTful web services interface.
	+specificationURL	Association to the URL for the specification of the web service.
Registration		This is not detailed here but is shown as the link between the SDMX-IM and the Registry Service API. It denotes a data registration document.

^ Provider Scheme, Provider, Provision Agreement and Registered source refer both to data and reference metadata.