Architecture drivers

Architecture drivers are the architecture-relevant requirements.

At least three relevant stakeholders can be named in two-sided digital data platforms: the data providers, the data consumers, and the platform operators. Data providers are frequently associated with end users: they own data about themselves, and their data is shared with the data consumers through the platform. Data consumers, in turn, are related to companies interested in the data. Considering data providers’ perspective, their concerns include self-determination and information about data usage. Data consumers, on the other hand, have data usage needs. Finally, one important quality of a DPC for the platform operators is its adaptability, meaning that the DPC has the quality of being adaptable to work with heterogeneous platforms.

This section presents DPC’s key functional requirements (KFR) and the quality requirements (QR). The former refers to what functions the system performs; the latter refers to how well the system works. To document the quality requirement, we used architecture scenarios, where the driver is described as a concrete scenario with a well-defined environment, a stimulus, a response, and quantifications of the previous ones. We use a formal requirements template for the key functional requirements.

Note: For a comprehensive view of all system requirements, visit the Requirements page.

Key functional requirements

Requests

KFR.1. The DPC shall provide one-side participants (e.g., data providers) with the ability to request data-related actions from other participants (e.g., data consumers). Requests are a special type of notification that requires action from the recipient.

Notifications

KFR.2. The DPC shall provide participants with the ability to send data-related notifications to other participants, where these notifications may or may not require action from the recipient.
KFR.3. When a request (see KFR.1) is triggered, the DPC shall notify the concerned party.
KFR.4. When a user acts upon a notification that requires a response, the DSC shall notify the party who triggered the notification.

Grants

KFR.5. The DPC shall provide data providers with the ability to manage (i.e., view, grant, decline, and revoke) their data-related grants.

Logs

KFR.6. The DPC shall log all notifications and grant-related actions that occur in the DPC.
KFR.7. The DPC shall provide the users with the ability to know that their data has been sent to data consumers via the platform.

Quality requirements

QR.1: Adaptability

	Description	Quantification
Environment	Existing two-sided platforms intermediate the exchange of data assets between participants. From the data provider side, participants are end users; from the data consumer side, participants are services operated by third-party companies.	• Number of existing platforms > 1 • Each platform is implemented using a distinct programming language • Each third-party service is implemented using a distinct programming language
Stimulus	The operator of an arbitrary existing platform wants to integrate the DPC.
Response	The DPC is integrated into the platform.	No dev time modifications are required in the DPC.

2. System context and domain model

4. System decomposition