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Requirement

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Title

Need for information definitions

Identifier

SWIM-INFO-001

Requirement

Exchanged information shall be documented in an information definition.

Rationale

The requirement for information definitions is essential in order to facilitate semantic interoperability. Without information definitions, there are no resources to allow the meaning of the information to be clearly defined, understood and harmonised between stakeholders.

Verification

Completeness

Examples/Notes

Example: Standardised information exchange models such as the Aeronautical Information Exchange Model (AIXM) [RD10], the Flight Information Exchange Model (FIXM) [RD 11], the Weather Information Exchange Model (WXXM) [RD 13] and the ICAO Meteorological Information Exchange Model (IWXXM) [RD 14].

Example: Descriptions of information exchanged by services.

Example: Data catalogues used to list details on the exchanged information.

Example: Information exchanges captured as part of a business process model.

Level of Implementation

Mandatory

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The specification gives examples of types of information definitions:

  • standardised information exchange models
  • descriptions of information exchanged by services
  • data catalogues
  • information exchanges captured as part of a business process model

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They are agreed and published by a particular community of interest. There may be multiple versions of an exchange model e.g. IWXXM 1.1 was used by the SESAR programme but a v2.1 is now available and v3 is open for testingin pre-operations.

The exchange models listed above relate to three ICAO business domains (aeronautical, weather and flight information). However, other exchange models exist.

A service description may refer to one of these exchange models in order to define its payload.

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Business process modelling is a key art the service oriented approach. It is used to identify information exchange requirements, including the names and definitions of the elements being exchanged throughout the process.


Info

Publication and management of information definitions


This requirement says nothing about how to publish and manage information definitions. These concerns are not in the scope of the specification.

However, the need to make information definitions discoverable and to manage them properly is well acknowledged. It is therefore hoped that an information definition is open and accessible to the wider community and managed/governed by a well-established group.

Verification Support

Completeness

Check that:

[  ] There is an information definition. 

[  ] The information definition covers all of the information as defined in the scope statement.

Notes:

  1. The information definition can be a standalone document or embedded into another document such as a service description.
  2. The information definition can be made up of a set of documents.
  3. The scope statement contained in the information definition helps to answer this check.

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A fictional example is available to show how the requirements could be satisfied by an XML Schema file and in a Data Catalogue.