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Interoperability

Interoperability is a key aspect of CitCom.ai’s approach to ensuring that data can be securely and effectively shared across different systems and organizations.

IDSA Documentation

  • Key Layers:
    The IDS documentation emphasizes four primary layers—technical, semantic, organizational, and legal—that collectively underpin effective interoperability.

  • Intra Data Space Interoperability:
    Within a single Data Space, a unified governance framework ensures that all participants adhere to the same protocols and models.

  • Cross-Data Space Interoperability:
    When operating across multiple Data Spaces, additional coordination is required to bridge varying protocols and legal frameworks.

For a comprehensive explanation and additional context, please refer to the original IDS documentation on Interoperability in Data Spaces.

MIMs

MIMs stands for "Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms". These guidelines and standards were developed by the Open & Agile Smart Cities (OASC) initiative to promote interoperability among different city systems and technologies, such as traffic management systems, waste management systems, and energy distribution systems. CitCom.ai project embraces minimal interoperability mechanisms (MIMs) as part of its approach.

Interoperability levels

Interoperability in data spaces defines how diverse systems can seamlessly exchange, interpret, and use data. Interoperability can be conceptualized as a maturity model with three levels:

Level 0 - Custom Integration

At Level 0, no standard exists for data exchange. Each system is integrated via wholly customized solutions. This results in interfaces that are highly specific to each data platform. Although functional, such integration is often brittle and difficult to scale because it lacks a common vocabulary or consistent protocols. The absence of shared standards limits the potential for cross-organizational data reuse.

Level 1 - Pivotal Interoperability Points

At Level 1, the focus shifts to identifying and adopting pivotal interoperability points among different data platforms. Key mechanisms such as MIM1 NGSI-LD and MIM2 Smart Data Models serve as the foundational standards at this stage.

  • MIM1 NGSI-LD provides a standardized API for context information management, enabling different systems to share and retrieve structured data consistently.

  • MIM2 Smart Data Models standardize how entities and their attributes are defined, ensuring that data from disparate sources uses a common language.

This level establishes core interoperability through shared data models and context management, even though individual systems may retain internal heterogeneity.

Level 2 - Common Interface with Integrated Security

At Level 2, interoperability is further enhanced by defining a standard interface typically through deploying a data space connector. This connector not only leverages the standards from Level 1 but also integrates a comprehensive security layer that includes:

  • Trust Frameworks: Mechanisms to establish and maintain trust among participants.

  • Identity Management: Standardized approaches to manage and verify participant identities.

  • Authorization and Trust Services: Policies and registries that enforce data usage rules and access control.

This unified interface simplifies plug-and-play integration and ensures that all data transactions are secure, standardized, and governed under a common framework

Learn more about this

Check Interoperability in Data Spaces section from IDSA. Also check MIMs Toolkit section or OASC MIMs 2024 for more details.