Overview of COSMOS Components

The COSMOS framework consists of several layers of data abstraction.

The lower layer consists of a repository-specific API or Product Client that provides abstract operations to access data in native format. A Data Manager is a COSMOS component which accesses data from the repository via the native API in response to a standard query mechanism. The Data Manager will return data via a standardized Web Service query response.

The upper layer consists of a Broker and associated Web Services that logically federate the individual Data Managers from the lower layer. The Broker is responsible for resolving requests for Data Managers that can satisfy given data requests and return a set of Data Managers to the consumer. The consumer then communicates directly with Data Managers to access required data through standardized interfaces.

Product Client
A Product Client is a product-specific API that is implemented by each product or repository to share its data.

Data Manager
A Data Manager hosts a Product Client and handles communication with the COSMOS environment.

One classification of a Data Manager is a Management Data Repository (MDR). An MDR provides data about managed resources (for example, computer systems, application software, and buildings) and/or process artifacts (for example, incident records and request for change forms), and the relationships between them.
Broker
A Broker is a COSMOS component that provides a facility for Data Managers to register, as well as for Data Consumers to query for Data Managers that will satisfy given data requirements.

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