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artsdata-data-model

Overview of how data is modelled in Artsdata.ca.

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Databus and Graph-store API

An API server (built with RAILS) that acts as a gateway between the outside world and the Artsdata Triplestore.

Artsdata Databus Service

The Artsdata Databus is primarily used to store metadata on RDF files hosted by 3rd parties so they can be automatically loaded into the Artsdata.ca triple store.

See documentation on the Artsdata Databus API

The Databus breaks existing pipelines into individual components that together form a decentralized, but centrally coordinated data network.

Rules when using the Databus service:

Artsdata Databus SHACL validation reports

A SHACL validation service is available to test datasets prior to upload to the Artsdata Databus. This RESTful API service receives parameters for the SHACL file to apply and the data graph to test. Contact Culture Creates for access to this service.

Graph-store Services

The main goal of the Graph-store API is to defend the Artsdata.ca data model. All data loaded to Artsdata.ca must meet certain constraints. Data that does not meet these constrains is rejected and errors are reported back to the client.

This work in progress is using SHACL to describe the contraints in an effort to be as data-centric as possible (use data triples to describe rules instead of hard coding).

This service checks that the data meets all the requirements and constraints of the Artsdata data model. Each load is treated like a transaction. Direct SPARQL insert is not allowed, however post load SPARQL transforms are allowed for the graph, and are done prior to checking the constrains needed to complete the transaction. If there are critical errors then the transaction is cancelled and the graph is restored to the same state prior to the start of the load.

Uploading data to the Graph-store API requires secure authentication. Culture Creates is testing WebID as a novel way to identify and authenticate users. WebID has the advantage of enabling the user to be the main authority of their data. Authentication is done with the user’s own secure key. In comparison to other services like Facebook Login, LinkedIn or OpenID, wuth WebID the user is the owner of their data and of the secure key and therefore their own authority. The WebID workflow uses public/private key cryptography and client certificate authorization to establish secure, authenticated HTTPS connections. See https://github.com/dbpedia/webid for more info.

URI Minting Services

Minting URIs as a service, will probably be added to this API pending further needs analysis. It provides an API for developers to request new URIs for entities being added to Artsdata.