IEC 62656-8:2020

IEC 62656-8 ®
Edition 1.0 2020-06
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
Standardized product ontology register and transfer by data parcels –
Part 8: Web service interface for data parcels

Enregistrement d'ontologie de produits normalises et transfert par paquets
de données –
Partie 8: Interface de service Web pour les paquets de données

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IEC 62656-8 ®
Edition 1.0 2020-06
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
Standardized product ontology register and transfer by data parcels –

Part 8: Web service interface for data parcels

Enregistrement d'ontologie de produits normalises et transfert par paquets

de données –
Partie 8: Interface de service Web pour les paquets de données

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 01.040.01; 01.110 ISBN 978-2-8322-8469-8

– 2 – IEC 62656-8:2020 © IEC 2020
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 6
INTRODUCTION . 8
1 Scope . 10
2 Normative references . 10
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms . 11
3.1 Terms and definitions . 11
3.2 Abbreviated terms . 13
4 Use scenarios . 13
4.1 Holistic use scenario . 13
4.2 Use scenario between server and client . 14
4.3 Use scenario between servers . 15
5 Parcel web service specification . 16
5.1 General . 16
5.2 Exception . 16
5.2.1 General . 16
5.2.2 Naming convention for an exception . 17
5.2.3 Standard-defined exceptions . 17
5.3 Search scope . 18
5.4 Parcel registration service . 20
5.4.1 General . 20
5.4.2 Request message . 20
5.4.3 Response message . 22
5.4.4 Exception . 23
5.5 Parcel resolution service . 23
5.5.1 General . 23
5.5.2 Request message . 24
5.5.3 Response message . 27
5.5.4 Exception . 27
5.6 Parcel subscription service . 28
5.6.1 General . 28
5.6.2 Request message . 28
5.6.3 Response message . 29
5.6.4 Exception . 29
5.6.5 Specification of change notification . 29
6 Specification of parcel data representation in a web service message . 30
6.1 General . 30
6.2 Basic data representation . 30
6.3 Reserved keywords . 31
6.3.1 Keyword indicating conjunctive parcels . 31
6.3.2 Keyword indicating parcel ontology layer of a set of data parcels . 31
6.3.3 Keyword indicating header section . 31
6.3.4 Keyword indicating class header section . 31
6.3.5 Keyword indicating schema header section . 32
6.3.6 Keyword indicating data section . 32
6.3.7 Keyword indicating default supplier in data section . 32
6.3.8 Keyword indicating default version in data section . 32

6.4 Additional instructions to data parcels for parcel web services . 32
6.4.1 Codification mode . 32
6.4.2 Intended language . 33
6.4.3 Default value . 33
6.5 Description of instructions . 34
7 Data representation in JSON . 35
7.1 Basic structure of data representation in JSON . 35
7.2 Reserved JSON name indicating an array of data parcels . 37
7.3 JSON names for class header section . 37
7.3.1 JSON name indicating the instruction "#CLASS_ID" . 37
7.3.2 JSON name indicating the instruction "#PARCEL_MODE" . 37
7.3.3 JSON name indicating the instruction "#PARCEL_ID" . 37
7.3.4 JSON name indicating the instruction "#DEFAULT_SUPPLIER" . 37
7.3.5 JSON name indicating the instruction "#DEFAULT_VERSION" . 38
7.3.6 JSON name indicating the instruction "#OBJECT_ID_NAME" . 38
7.3.7 JSON name indicating the instruction "#ID_ENCODE" . 38
7.3.8 JSON name indicating the instruction "#PWS_CODIFICATION_MODE" . 38
7.3.9 JSON name indicating the instruction "#INTENDED_LANGUAGE" . 38
7.4 JSON names for schema header section . 38
7.4.1 Basic structure of data representation for schema header section in
JSON . 38
7.4.2 JSON names for the schema header section . 39
7.5 Data representation for data section in JSON . 40
7.5.1 Vertical JSON notation for data section . 40
7.5.2 Lateral JSON notation for data section . 40
7.6 Character encode . 40
8 Data representation in XML . 41
8.1 Basic structure of data representation in XML . 41
8.2 Reserved keyword indicating data parcel . 42
8.3 XML elements for class header section . 42
8.3.1 XML element indicating the instruction "#CLASS_ID" . 42
8.3.2 XML element indicating the instruction "#PARCEL_MODE" . 42
8.3.3 XML element indicating the instruction "#PARCEL_ID" . 42
8.3.4 XML element indicating the instruction "#DEFAULT_SUPPLIER" . 42
8.3.5 XML element indicating the instruction "#DEFAULT_VERSION" . 42
8.3.6 XML element indicating the instruction "#OBJECT_ID_NAME" . 43
8.3.7 XML element indicating the instruction "#ID_ENCODE" . 43
8.3.8 XML element indicating the instruction "#PWS_CODIFICATION_MODE" . 43
8.3.9 XML element indicating the instruction "#INTENDED_LANGUAGE" . 43
8.4 XML elements for schema header section . 43
8.4.1 Basic structure of data representation for schema header section in
XML . 43
8.4.2 XML elements of schema header section . 44
8.5 XML elements and attributes for data section . 45
8.5.1 Vertical XML notation of data section . 45
8.5.2 Lateral XML notation of data section . 46
8.6 Character encode . 48
Annex A (normative) Schema . 49
A.1 JSON schema . 49

– 4 – IEC 62656-8:2020 © IEC 2020
A.1.1 Vertical JSON schema . 49
A.1.2 Lateral JSON schema . 51
A.1.3 Exception JSON schema . 53
A.2 XML schema . 54
A.2.1 Vertical XML schema . 54
A.2.2 Lateral XML schema . 57
A.2.3 Exception XML schema . 59
Annex B (normative)  Web service representation . 60
B.1 Web service representation in WADL . 60
B.2 Web service representation in WSDL . 64
Annex C (informative) Examples of data representation . 68
C.1 Example data parcel . 68
C.2 Example of data representation in JSON notation . 69
C.2.1 Example of data representation in vertical JSON notation . 69
C.2.2 Example of data representation in lateral JSON notation . 70
C.3 Example of data representation in XML notation . 71
C.3.1 Example of data representation in vertical XML notation . 71
C.3.2 Example of data representation in lateral XML notation . 73
Annex D (informative) Descriptions of the instructions of "optional – informative" . 75
Bibliography . 76

Figure 1 – Holistic use scenario of parcel web services . 14
Figure 2 – Parcel resolution and registration services between a server and a client . 15
Figure 3 – Parcel subscription service between registries . 16
Figure 4 – Tree structure of exceptions . 17
Figure 5 – Example of structural view of the use of search scope modifiers . 19
Figure 6 – Example of a parcel sheet view of the use of search scope modifiers . 20
Figure 7 – Overview of parcel resolution service . 24
Figure 8 – Basic structure of a data representation for a conjunctive set of data parcels . 31
Figure 9 – Example of the use of default values . 34
Figure 10 – Basic structure of data representation in JSON . 36
Figure 11 – Basic structure of data representation for schema header section in JSON . 39
Figure 12 – Basic structure of data representation in XML . 41
Figure 13 – Basic structure of data representation for schema header section in XML . 44
Figure 14 – Structure of data representation for data section in the vertical XML

notation . 45
Figure 15 – Structure of data representation for data section in lateral XML notation . 47
Figure A.1 – Vertical JSON schema . 49
Figure A.2 – Lateral JSON schema . 51
Figure A.3 – Exception JSON schema . 53
Figure A.4 – Vertical XML schema . 54
Figure A.5 – Lateral XML schema . 57
Figure A.6 – Exception XML schema . 59
Figure B.1 – Web service representation in WADL . 60
Figure B.2 – Web service representation in WSDL . 64

Figure C.1 – Example of data representation in vertical JSON notation . 69
Figure C.2 – Example of data representation in lateral JSON notation . 70
Figure C.3 – Example of data representation in vertical XML notation . 71
Figure C.4 – Example of data representation in lateral XML notation . 73

Table 1 – Standard-defined exceptions for parcel web services . 18
Table 2 – Specification of search scope modifiers . 19
Table 3 – Structure of a request message of the parcel registration service . 20
Table 4 – Structure of a response message of the parcel registration service . 22
Table 5 – Structure of a request message of the parcel resolution service . 25
Table 6 – Structure of a response message of the parcel resolution service. 27
Table 7 – Structure of a request message of the parcel subscription service . 28
Table 8 – Structure of a response message of the parcel subscription service . 29
Table 9 – Specification of a notification . 30
Table 10 – Description of the instructions specified in IEC 62656-1 . 35
Table 11 – Description of the instructions specified in this document . 35
Table C.1 – Example data parcel . 68
Table D.1 – Descriptions of the instructions of "optional – informative" . 75

– 6 – IEC 62656-8:2020 © IEC 2020
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
STANDARDIZED PRODUCT ONTOLOGY REGISTER
AND TRANSFER BY DATA PARCELS –

Part 8: Web service interface for data parcels

FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
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patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard IEC 62656-8 has been prepared by subcommittee 3D: Classes,
Properties and Identification of products – Common Data Dictionary (CDD), of IEC technical
committee 3: Documentation, graphical symbols and representations of technical information.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
FDIS Report on voting
3D/342/FDIS 3D/346/RVD
Full information on the voting for the approval of this International Standard can be found in
the report on voting indicated in the above table.
This document has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.

A list of all parts in the IEC 62656 series, published under the general title Standardized
product ontology register and transfer by data parcels, can be found on the IEC website.
Future standards in this series will carry the new general title as cited above. Titles of existing
standards in this series will be updated at the time of the next edition.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to
the specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
IMPORTANT – The 'colour inside' logo on the cover page of this publication indicates
that it contains colours which are considered to be useful for the correct
understanding of its contents. Users should therefore print this document using a
colour printer.
– 8 – IEC 62656-8:2020 © IEC 2020
INTRODUCTION
For a description of products and services throughout their lifecycle, an enhanced data
interoperability with reduced human interventions is an ultimate goal of developing
international standards for intelligent production systems. In attaining this goal, an industrial
ontology is expected to play a significant role by allowing components of systems to talk to
each other, namely machine-machine understanding, about their functions, capabilities,
structures and their configurations.
The parcellized ontology model defined in IEC 62656-1, also known by its acronym "POM", is
a generic ontology model with quadruple layers to capture different types of ontology models
by sorting elements into categories of homogeneous collection of ontological entities, such as
classes (concepts), properties, relations, enumerations, terms (constants), data types, etc. At
the second layer from the top, named the Meta-Ontology (MO) layer, 11 types of category are
defined. Each layer is a collection of categories, while each category is represented by a
relational table-like matrix called "data parcel" whose meta data (attributes) are embodied as
a selection of instances of the immediate upper layer. The top layer of the POM, named the
Axiomatic Ontology (AO) layer, comprises two data parcels only, which conjointly define the
"concept of concepts" by classes and properties, which is an information technology (IT)
embodiment of the math-logical notion of the class (i.e., "concept") itself.
Other parts of the IEC 62656 series, which are collectively known as "Parcel standards", are
intended as a specialization of the POM for a specific purpose.
IEC 62656-2 [1] is a guide for domain experts to apply the POM in order to capture a data
dictionary from the definitions available in product standards in a form conformant to the
IEC 61360-2 [2] and ISO 13584-42 [3] dictionary schema (i.e., common data dictionary model,
or CDDM) and using the specification of a part of IEC 62656-1 as an official data interface for
the IEC 61360-4 database known as the IEC CDD (Common Data Dictionary), enabling the
uploading and downloading of the dictionary to and from the IEC CDD. A referential
implementation of IEC 62656-1 is available as a tool, free of charge for standardization
purposes.
IEC 62656-3 is intended as a mapping specification between a standard data model of the
"Smart-Grid" domain, with acronym CIM (Common Information Model), and an extended, or
rather generalized data model of the IEC CDD, namely, the POM. The CIM comprises the
IEC 61968/IEC 61970/IEC 62325 series of International Standards. Thus, the IEC CDD can
accommodate the CIM provided the IEC CDD sufficiently implements the POM as the data
interface or database. Alternatively, this mapping inevitably entails a small but significant
extension of the IEC CDD, without which the accommodation of the CIM into the IEC CDD is
infeasible. Nevertheless, nothing needs to be added to or subtracted from the tool which is
currently used as a data interface for the IEC CDD and which fully embodies IEC 62656-1.
IEC 62656-5 is intended as an interface for the description of activities as an ontology
conformant to IEC 62656-1, thus opening a way to store definitions available from
activity-centric International Standards, for instance IEC 62224-3, as an ontology.
IEC 62656-5 can also be applied to the description of non-manufacturing use scenarios, such
as for the description of activities of natural hazard management or electronic tourist guidance
or navigation, with a harmonious integration of activities with related products and services.
This means a common ontology repository ("COR") based on the POM can store both IEC
CDD and CIM types of data dictionaries or ontologies. Furthermore it can smoothly bridge the
differences and fill the gaps covering ontologies of different provenances.
_____________
Numbers in square brackets refer to the Bibliography.

Future parts of the IEC 62656 series are expected to shed light on a new spectrum of
applications for the COR based on the POM.
Above all, this document specifies a description of basic web services for semantic
repositories based on the POM, whilst an advanced type of web interface, including complex
enquiry about products as well as query forwarding to another repository, is left to a future
part of the series, to be developed.

– 10 – IEC 62656-8:2020 © IEC 2020
STANDARDIZED PRODUCT ONTOLOGY REGISTER
AND TRANSFER BY DATA PARCELS –

Part 8: Web service interface for data parcels

1 Scope
This part of IEC 62656 specifies a web service interface to exchange data parcel(s)
conformant to IEC 62656-1, between a parcel server and a parcel client or between parcel
servers. This interface comprises three basic services: a registration service, resolution
service and subscription service.
This document includes the following:
– holistic use scenario;
– detailed specification of the three basic services;
– JSON [1] and XML [5] notation schemas for data parcel(s).
The following items are outside the scope of this document:
– user identification and authorization;
– query language for a data parcel;
– transportation protocol;
– data and communication security techniques.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their
content constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition
cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including
any amendments) applies.
IEC 62656-1:2014, Standardized product ontology register and transfer by spreadsheets –
Part 1: Logical structure for data parcels
ISO/IEC 21778, Information technology – The JSON data interchange syntax
ISO 639-1, Codes for the representation of names of languages – Part 1: Alpha-2 code
ISO 3166-1, Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions –
Part 1: Country codes
ISO 8601-1, Date and time – Representations for information interchange – Part 1: Basic
rules
ISO 8601-2, Date and time – Representations for information interchange – Part 2:
Extensions
ISO 13584-32, Industrial automation systems and integration – Parts library – Part 32:
Implementation resources: OntoML: Product ontology markup language

3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1.1
application ontology repository
AOR
ontology repository where proprietary ontologies and their instances can be stored
Note 1 to entry: A proprietary ontology can be a modification and/or an extension of a standardized ontology.
Note 2 to entry: Standardized ontologies can be also stored in an AOR.
3.1.2
common ontology repository
COR
shared ontology repository where standardized ontologies of different base models can be
stored
3.1.3
conjunctive parcels
parcel sheets that are used together to define a library, reference dictionary, or meta-
dictionary
[SOURCE: IEC 62656-1:2014, 3.6]
3.1.4
data parcel
parcel
information structure in a form of a level-pair, comprising a set of properties and a set of
tuples of values for the set of properties, with an aim to describe a domain data dictionary, a
domain data library or an ontological modelling concept
Note 1 to entry: A data parcel is typically implemented and exchanged as a set of spreadsheets, but the medium
of implementation or exchange is not limited to spreadsheets; it may be in any other form.
[SOURCE: IEC 62656-1:2014, 3.8]
3.1.5
dictionary
data dictionary
set of terms with respective identifiers formulated in a canonical syntax and with commonly
accepted definitions designed to yield a lexical or taxonomical framework for knowledge
representation in a computer interpretable form, which can be shared by different information
systems and communities
[SOURCE: IEC 62656-1:2014, 3.10]
3.1.6
JSON data
data represented in compliance with the ISO/IEC 21778 specification

– 12 – IEC 62656-8:2020 © IEC 2020
3.1.7
JSON name
series of characters assigned to a value or object for referring to it in JSON data
3.1.8
ontological entity
artefact that is used to represent a category of being of things or relationship among them
[SOURCE: IEC 62656-1:2014, 3.36]
3.1.9
ontology repository
data repository where ontologies or ontological entities are stored
3.1.10
parcel client
client system or application that can read or write parcelling sheets in general, and may have
an optional capability to send them to or receive them from a server system
[SOURCE: IEC 62656-1:2014, 3.37]
3.1.11
parcel ontology layer
abstraction layer which is embodied as a set of data parcels on the same level
Note 1 to entry: IEC 62656-1:2014 classifies parcel ontology layers as axiomatic ontology (AO), meta ontology
(MO), domain ontology (DO) and domain library (DL).
3.1.12
parcel server
server system or application that can provide parcel spreadsheets in general over Internet
[SOURCE: IEC 62656-1:2014, 3.41]
3.1.13
parcel registration
operation to enter new record of information by data parcels to a parcel server
Note 1 to entry: Registration operations are classified into addition, modification and deletion operations.
3.1.14
parcel resolution
operation to receive information by data parcels by using the specific parameter(s) as search
condition(s)
3.1.15
parcel subscription
agreement to receive the status or the change of the information by data parcels

3.2 Abbreviated terms
AOR Application Ontology Repository
CDD Common Data Dictionary
COR Common Ontology Repository
HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol
HTTPS Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
ICID International Concept Identifier
JSON JavaScript Object Notation
RAI Registration Authority Identifier
SOAP Simple Object Access Protocol
VI Version Identifier
XML eXtensible Markup Language
WADL Web Application Description Language
WSDL Web Services Description Language
4 Use scenarios
4.1 Holistic use scenario
A standardized ontology such as that set out in IEC 61360-4 consists of a standardized set of
classes and properties which should be used for common understanding of the meaning of
data among users. In most cases, such a standardized ontology contains a minimum agreed
set of classes and properties expressed in the English language; therefore it usually needs to
be customized for actual use. For example, language translation may be important for the use
of an ontology for non-native English users in a regional company. For another example,
extensions of classes and properties, such as commercial data or administrative information,
are essential for product information management in each company. The four modelling layers
approach defined in IEC 62656-1 allows for the representation of such an extension and
modification in data parcels.
Such a customized ontology is usually maintained and published in a server (e.g., application
ontology repository) such as a national server and an enterprise server, separately from the
server (e.g., common ontology repository) where the standardized ontology is stored. If there
is a mechanism not only for downloading or uploading data parcels but also for subscription to
an ontology by using the web technique, the use of a standardized ontology and its extension
will be enhanced and made easy. Web services specified in this document will contribute to
enabling the exchange of data parcel(s) of an ontology between a server and a client or
between servers.
In many cases, data exchange both between servers and between a server and a client are
done over the HTTP(S) protocol, because there are many hardware, software and security
techniques for it. Therefore, the use of the HTTP(S) protocol is recommended for a parcel
web service, but other protocols are also available for a data exchange by means of a parcel
web service for a specific requirement such as communication speed.
The web services for the exchange of or the subscription to data parcels defined in this
document presume, but are not limited to, the following use scenarios depicted in Figure 1.

– 14 – IEC 62656-8:2020 © IEC 2020

Figure 1 – Holistic use scenario of parcel web services
4.2 Use scenario between server and client
A detailed use scenario between an ontology repository and a parcel client is depicted in
Figure 2 with the following activities and associated information flows:
– A1: A client application, such as an ontology editor, registers the content of a set of data
parcels into an ontology repository without going through an operation on the web page of
the ontology repository.
– A2: A client application, such as a controller, CAD application or purchasing system,
requests to resolve the identifier of a dictionary item and obtains a part, or the whole set,
of information about a dictionary item designated by the identifier without going through an
operation on the web page of an ontology repository.
NOTE Content delivered by a set of data parcels is a data dictionary or an update of a data dictionary.

Figure 2 – Parcel resolution and registration services between a server and a client
4.3 Use scenario between servers
A detailed use scenario between servers is depicted in Figure 3 with the following activities
and associated information flows:
– A3: An application ontology repository requests to subscribe to a dictionary item stored in
a common ontology repository or another application ontology repository to obtain an
update of the content stored in the latter repository when a new instance is registered in
the latter repository.
– A4: An application ontology repository that subscribes to a dictionary item stored in the
common ontology repository obtains an update of the content on a regular, specified
time-span basis or on an event-driven basis, i.e., when a new instance is registered in the
latter repository. Ontology repository servers can make a cascade connection to deliver
the content from an upstream server to a downstream server.

– 16 – IEC 62656-8:2020 © IEC 2020

Figure 3 – Parcel subscription service between registries
5 Parcel web service specification
5.1 General
This document specifies the following three basic web services, upon which more
sophisticated or advanced user applications can be built:
– parcel registration service (see 5.4);
– parcel resolution service (see 5.5);
– parcel subscription service (see 5.6).
Like other web services in general, each basic web service specified in this document also
has means for han
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