4.3.1 Governance Aspects Addressed by the Different Layers of the IDS-RAM

Business Layer

The Business Layer (see Section 3.1) facilitates the development and use of new, digital business models to be applied by the Participants in the International Data Spaces. It also specifies the roles within the IDS. Thereby, it is directly related to the Governance Perspective by considering the business point of view regarding data ownership, data provision, and data consumption, and by describing core service concepts such as metadata brokerage.

Functional Layer

The Functional Layer (see Section 3.2) defines the functional requirements of the International Data Spaces, and the concrete features resulting from them, in a technology-independent way. The IDS Connector represents the main interface to enable participation in the ecosystem. From a governance perspective, interoperability and connectivity must be ensured to support trust, security, and data sovereignty. Beside the Clearing House and the Identity Provider, which are entities for which the relation to governance is obvious, also the functionality of certain technical core components (e.g., the App Store or the Connector) relates to the Governance Perspective.

Information Layer

The Information Layer (see Section 3.3) specifies the Information Model, which provides a common vocabulary for Participants to express their concepts. It thereby defines a framework for standardized collaboration and for using the infrastructure of the International Data Spaces for establishing individual agreements and contracts. The vocabulary plays a key role in the Governance Perspective because of its relevance for describing data by metadata in the International Data Spaces.

Process Layer

Providing a dynamic view of the architecture, the Process Layer (see Section 3.4) describes the interactions taking place between the different components of the International Data Spaces. The three major processes described in the Process Layer section (onboarding, exchanging data, and publishing and using Data Apps) are directly related to the Governance Perspective, as they define its scope regarding the technical architecture.

System Layer

The System Layer (see Section 3.5) relates to the Governance Perspective due to its technical implementation of different security levels for data exchange between the Data Endpoints in the International Data Spaces.