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Glossary of Terms

This glossary defines key terms used throughout the Base Product Specification (BPS).
Where possible, definitions are aligned with established standards such as Dublin Core (DCTerms), W3C PROV-O, and FOAF.

A​

Agent​

A bearer of accountability or responsibility for a Product or Product Version.

  • Subtypes:
    • Human — An individual person.
    • Collective — A group, team, department, or organization.
    • Non-Human — An autonomous digital entity such as an AI agent, smart contract, or DAO.
    • Hybrid — A human augmented with AI or other enhancements.
  • Alignment: PROV-O prov:Agent, FOAF foaf:Agent.

Asset​

An underlying resource used by or exposed from a Product. Examples include datasets, trained models, API specifications, or physical components.

C​

Certification​

A formal attestation that a Product or Product Version meets specified criteria. Includes issuer, certificate name/ID, validity period, and optional evidence link.

Classification​

A structured categorization of a Product using a recognized scheme (e.g., UNSPSC, NAICS) or internal taxonomy. Includes scheme, code, and label.

Contract​

A set of obligations, guarantees, or promises associated with a Product Version.
Examples: SLAs, SLOs, fairness guarantees, regulatory commitments.

D​

DPROD​

The Data Product Ontology developed under the Enterprise Knowledge Graph Foundation (EKGF). Provides semantic descriptions for Data Products.

DPDS​

The Data Product Descriptor Specification, developed under Open Data Mesh. Provides a declarative deployment specification for Data Products.

dct:conformsTo​

A Dublin Core metadata property indicating that a resource conforms to an external specification.

  • Example: A ProductVersion dct:conformsTo DPDS v1.0.

E​

Evaluation​

The process of assessing a Product Version against defined criteria.
Includes reference to evaluator, method, and results.

ExternalSpec​

An external standard, ontology, or schema to which a Product or Product Version conforms.
Examples: DPDS, DPROD, APDS, OpenAPI.

H​

HealthIndicator​

An operational signal describing the current or recent state of a Product Version (e.g., uptime, freshness, drift, MTBF). Used for observability.

I​

Interface​

The defined mechanism by which a Product provides or consumes value.

  • Subtypes: InputPort, OutputPort, ServiceEndpoint.
  • Examples: Data feed, API endpoint, prediction service.

InputPort​

A type of Interface describing inputs consumed by a Product (e.g., datasets, parameters).

M​

Metric​

A quantitative or qualitative measure used in evaluation.
Examples: Accuracy, latency, freshness, defect rate.

O​

OutputPort​

A type of Interface describing outputs produced by a Product (e.g., data tables, model predictions).

P​

PolicyRiskProfile​

The governance attributes of a Product Version, including applicable policies, regulatory context, and risk classification.

PDS (Product Descriptor Specification)​

A deployment blueprint that describes how a product is instantiated, delivered, and operated.

  • Scope: Technical and operational aspects of a product.
  • Examples:
    • DPDS (Data Product Descriptor Specification).
    • AIPDS (AI Product Descriptor Specification).
    • PHPDS (Physical Product Descriptor Specification).
    • SWPDS (Software Product Descriptor Specification).
  • Purpose: Ensure reproducibility, portability, and clarity of deployment across environments.
  • Alignment: Analogous to configuration and deployment standards (e.g., YAML, Kubernetes manifests).

PROD (Product Ontology/Description)​

A semantic blueprint that describes what a product is, its meaning, purpose, and relationships.

  • Scope: Conceptual identity, governance, compliance, and business context.
  • Examples:
    • DPROD (Data Product Ontology).
    • AIPROD (AI Product Ontology).
    • PHPROD (Physical Product Ontology).
    • SWPROD (Software Product Ontology).
  • Purpose: Enable discoverability, governance, semantic interoperability, and contextual understanding.
  • Alignment: Anchored in ontology, knowledge graph, and metadata standards (e.g., DCAT, Dublin Core, PROV-O).

Product​

The abstract root concept representing a unit of value offered for consumption.
Attributes: identifier, title, description, category.

Product Version​

An immutable snapshot of a Product at a point in time.
Attributes: versionId, releaseDate, status (Draft, Published, Deprecated, Retired).

Provenance​

The description of origins and derivations of a Product Version, including source assets and generating activities.

  • Alignment: W3C PROV-O (prov:wasDerivedFrom, prov:wasGeneratedBy).

Purpose / IntendedUse​

A concise statement describing the primary function or application context of a Product. Guides discoverability, policy, and risk assessment.

S​

ServiceEndpoint​

A type of Interface describing callable services (e.g., REST API, gRPC endpoint).

Miscellaneous Standards References​

  • DCAT: W3C Data Catalog Vocabulary — used for dataset description.
  • FOAF: Friend of a Friend Ontology — defines foaf:Agent.
  • PROV-O: W3C Provenance Ontology — models derivation and activity relationships.
  • GoodRelations: Ontology for commercial product offers and e-commerce.
  • ISO/IEC 22989, 42001: AI standards relevant for accountability and risk management.