ISO/IEC 11179-6:2015

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 11179-6
Third edition
2015-08-01
Information technology — Metadata
registries (MDR) —
Part 6:
Registration
Technologies de l’information — Registres de métadonnées (RM) —
Partie 6: Enregistrement des données
Reference number
ISO/IEC 11179-6:2015(E)
©
ISO/IEC 2015

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ISO/IEC 11179-6:2015(E)

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ISO/IEC 11179-6:2015(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
1.1 Statement of scope . 1
1.2 Exclusions . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Concept of operation . 9
4.1 Metamodel of a Metadata Registry . 9
4.2 Metadata Items . 9
4.3 Common facilities .10
4.3.1 Identification .10
4.3.2 Designation and Definition .10
4.3.3 Classification .10
4.3.4 Registration .11
4.4 Status categories.11
4.4.1 General.11
4.4.2 Summary of registration status categories .11
4.4.3 Description of administrative status .14
4.5 Procedures .14
5 Metadata Registries of Administered Items .15
5.1 General .15
5.2 Contents .16
5.2.1 Metadata Registry Views .16
5.2.2 Metadata Registry Contents and Levels of Conformance .16
5.2.3 Metadata Registry Contents and Types of Administered Items .16
5.3 Language(s) .16
5.4 Availability of the Metadata Registry of Administered Items .16
6 Conformance .16
Annex A (informative) Identifiers based on ISO/IEC 6523 .17
Annex B (normative) Contents of the Metadata Registry: Metadata attributes required for
Administered Items .22
Annex C (informative) Suggested functional operating procedures — Roles and Responsibilities 41
Annex D (informative) Suggested functional operating procedures — Concept of operations .48
Annex E (informative) Suggested functional operating procedures — Procedures .51
Annex F (informative) Suggested functional operating procedures — Harmonization and reuse .60
Annex G (informative) Frequently Asked Questions .62
Bibliography .65
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ISO/IEC 11179-6:2015(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are
members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical
committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical
activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the
work. In the field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee,
ISO/IEC JTC 1.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for
the different types of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject
of patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction
and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical Barriers
to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology, Subcommittee
SC 32, Data management and interchange.
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO/IEC 11179-6:2005), which has been
technically revised.
ISO/IEC 11179 consists of the following parts, under the general title Information technology — Metadata
registries (MDR):
— Part 1: Framework
— Part 2: Classification
— Part 3: Registry metamodel and basic attributes
— Part 4: Formulation of data definitions
— Part 5: Naming principles
— Part 6: Registration
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ISO/IEC 11179-6:2015(E)

Introduction
This part of ISO/IEC 11179 describes the procedure by which metadata items required in various
application areas could be assigned an internationally unique identifier and registered in a metadata
registry maintained by one or more Registration Authorities. This edition of this part of ISO/IEC 11179
supports multiple schemes for ensuring the uniqueness of the identification.
The metamodel of a metadata registry defined in ISO/IEC 11179-3 allows a metadata item to simply be
identified or to be both identified and registered. A registered item may either be an administered item,
meaning it has its own registration state, or it may be an attached item, which means it is attached to
an administered item and shares the latter’s registration state. The registered items are included in
Metadata Registries maintained by one or more Registration Authorities, to which the registered items
logically and functionally belong. An organization wishing to become a Registration Authority may do
so in accordance with the procedure prescribed in Annex A.
The registration process described in this part of ISO/IEC 11179 may be applied to any type of metadata
item, such as those specified by ISO/IEC 11179-3: data elements, data element concepts, conceptual
domains, value meanings, value domains, classification schemes, and concept systems; those specified
by ISO/IEC 19763: ontologies, process models, service models, role and goal models, information models,
mappings between models, and form designs; and/or custom types not specified by these standards.
Each registered item is represented within a metadata registry by a registration record that documents
the common administration and identification, naming and definition details together with their
metadata item-specific details.
Within this part of ISO/IEC 11179, the use of “Metadata Registry” denotes an implementation of a
metadata registry that is based upon ISO/IEC 11179 and that is managed by one or more Registration
Authorities.
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 11179-6:2015(E)
Information technology — Metadata registries (MDR) —
Part 6:
Registration
1 Scope
1.1 Statement of scope
This part of ISO/IEC 11179 defines the type of information to be specified, the conditions to be met,
and the procedure(s) to be followed for each metadata item to be registered in a metadata registry. The
requirements and procedures contained herein apply to all metadata items specified in ISO/IEC 11179-3
and those specified in ISO/IEC 19763. Some Registration Authorities may want to use this part of
ISO/IEC 11179 to register and manage locally defined metadata item types that are not defined in
ISO/IEC 11179-3 or ISO/IEC 19763.
This part of ISO/IEC 11179 addresses the common metadata that is used to document the common
facilities of a metadata registry: administration, identification, naming and definition, details that can
apply to any and all types of metadata items.
1.2 Exclusions
This part of ISO/IEC 11179 does not address the metadata that is specific to particular types of metadata
items such as data elements and value domains. This part of ISO/IEC 11179 does NOT specify the
registry’s system design, file organization techniques, storage media, programming languages, etc. to
be used in its implementation.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/IEC 11179-1, Information technology — Metadata registries (MDR) — Part 1: Framework
ISO/IEC 11179-3, Information technology — Metadata registries (MDR) — Part 3: Registry metamodel and
basic attributes
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
administered item
registered item (3.38) for which administrative information (3.2) is recorded
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.2]
3.2
administrative information
information about the administration of an item in a metadata registry (3.26)
EXAMPLE Creation date, last change date, origin, change description, and explanatory comment.
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ISO/IEC 11179-6:2015(E)

[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.3]
3.3
administrative status
designation (3.10) of the status in the administrative process of a Registration Authority (3.42)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 8.1.2.6.2.6]
Note 1 to entry: Administrative status is described in 4.4.3. Examples are provided in E.3.
3.4
attached item
registered item (3.38) for which administrative information (3.2) is recorded in another registered item
Note 1 to entry: This is often a member of a group of registered items that is managed as a whole.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.6]
3.5
classifiable item
metadata item (3.23) of a type for which classification is supported in a given metadata registry (3.26)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.15]
3.6
classification scheme
descriptive information for an arrangement or division of objects into groups based on criteria such as
characteristics, which the objects have in common
EXAMPLE Origin, composition, structure, application, function, etc.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.16]
3.7
contact
instance of a role (3.49) of an individual (3.16) or organization (3.30) or organization part (3.33) or
organization Person (3.35) to or from whom an information item(s), a material object(s) and/or person(s)
can be sent in a specified context
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.23]
3.8
data
re-interpretable representation of information in a formalized manner suitable for communication,
interpretation, or processing
Note 1 to entry: Data can be processed by human or automatic means.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 2382-1:1993, 01.01.02]
3.9
data element
unit of data (3.8) that is considered in context to be indivisible
EXAMPLE The data element “age of a person” with values consisting of all combinations of three decimal
digits.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 2382-4:1999, 04.07.01]
Note 1 to entry: The definition states that a data element is “indivisible” in some context. This means that it is
possible that a data element considered indivisible in one context (e.g., telephone number) might be divisible in
another context (e.g., country code, area code, local number).
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ISO/IEC 11179-6:2015(E)

3.10
designation
representation of a concept by a sign which denotes it
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.4.1]
3.11
designatable item
identified item (3.12) which can have designations and/or definitions
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.50]
3.12
identified item
metadata item (3.23) identified in a metadata registry (3.26)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.64]
3.13
identifier
string used to unambiguously denote an identified item (3.12) within the scope of
a specified namespace (3.27)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 7.2.2.2.2.1]
3.14
identification
assignment of an unambiguous identifier (3.13) to an identified item (3.12) in a way that makes the
assignment available to interested parties
3.15
identification scheme
system allocating identifiers (3.13) to registered objects
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 6523:1998, 3.6]
3.16
individual
single human being
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.65]
3.17
International Code Designator
ICD
identifier (3.13) of an organization identification scheme (3.31)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 6523-1:1998, 3.8 — modified]
3.18
International Code Designator value
ICD value
identifier (3.13) allocated to a particular organization identification scheme (3.31)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 6523:1998, 3.9]
3.19
international registration data identifier
IRDI
internationally unique identifier (3.13) for a identified item (3.12) as defined in the framework of
ISO/IEC 11179
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ISO/IEC 11179-6:2015(E)

3.20
item identifier
identifier (3.13) for an item
Note 1 to entry: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013 uses the term scoped identifier (3.50) because each identifier is defined
within the scope of a namespace (3.27).
3.21
item registration authority identifier
identifier (3.13) of the Registration Authority (3.42) registering the item
3.22
metadata
data (3.8) that defines and describes other data
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.74]
3.23
metadata item
instance of a metadata object (3.24)
Note 1 to entry: In all parts of ISO/IEC 11179, this term is applied only to instances of metadata objects described
by the metamodel in ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, Clause 5 to Clause 11. Examples include instances of data elements,
data element concepts, permissible values, etc.
Note 2 to entry: A metadata item has associated attributes, as appropriate for the metadata object it instantiates.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.75]
3.24
metadata object
object type defined by a metamodel
Note 1 to entry: In all parts of ISO/IEC 11179, this term is applied to metadata objects described by the metamodel
in ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, Clause 5 to Clause 11. Examples include Data Elements, Data Element Concepts,
Permissible Values, etc.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.76]
Note 2 to entry: The term also applies to instances of metadata objects described by the metamodels in the various
parts of ISO/IEC 19763, which build upon the metamodel in ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013.
3.25
metadata register
information store or database maintained by a metadata registry (3.26)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.77]
3.26
metadata registry
MDR
information system for registering metadata (3.22)
Note 1 to entry: The associated information store or database is known as a metadata register (3.25).
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.78]
3.27
namespace
set of designations (3.10) and/or scoped identifiers (3.50) for a particular business need
Note 1 to entry: The term namespace is used in this International Standard because it is in common use even
though the concept is being applied to identifiers, as well as names.
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3.28
OPI Source Indicator
OPIS
data element (3.9) used to specify the source for the organization part identifier (3.34)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 6523:1998, 3.12]
3.29
OPIS value
particular value (digit or capital letter) taken by the OPIS (3.28) to designate the source of an organization
part identifier (3.34)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 6523:1998, 3.13]
3.30
organization
unique framework of authority within which individuals (3.16) act, or are designated to act, towards
some purpose
Note 1 to entry: The kinds of organizations covered by ISO/IEC 6523-1 include the following examples:
a) an organization incorporated under law;
b) an unincorporated organization or activity providing goods and/or services including the following:
1) partnerships;
2) social or other non-profit organizations or similar bodies in which ownership or control is
vested in a group of individuals;
3) sole proprietorships;
4) governmental bodies;
c) groupings of the above types of organizations where there is a need to identify these in information
interchange.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 6523-1:1998, 3.1 — modified]
3.31
organization identification scheme
identification scheme (3.15) dedicated to the unique identification of organizations (3.30)
3.32
organization identifier
identifier (3.13) assigned to an organization within an organization identification scheme (3.31) and
unique within that scheme
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 6523:1998, 3.10]
3.33
organization part
any department, service, or other entity within an organization (3.30) which needs to be identified for
information exchange
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 6523-1:1998, 3.2]
3.34
organization part identifier
OPI
identifier (3.13) allocated to a particular organization part (3.33)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 6523:1998, 3.11]
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ISO/IEC 11179-6:2015(E)

3.35
organization Person
organization part (3.33) which has the properties of a Person (3.36) and thus is able to make commitments
on behalf of that organization (3.30)
Note 1 to entry: An organization can have one or more organization Persons.
Note 2 to entry: An organization Person is deemed to represent and act on behalf of the organization and to do so
in a specified capacity.
Note 3 to entry: An organization Person can be a “natural person” such as an employee or officer of the organization.
Note 4 to entry: An organization Person can be a “legal person”, i.e., another organization.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 15944-1:2002, 3.46]
3.36
Person
entity, i.e. a natural or legal person, recognized by law as having legal rights and duties, able to make
commitment(s), assume and fulfil resulting obligation(s), and able of being held accountable for its
action(s)
Note 1 to entry: Synonyms for “legal person” include “artificial person”, “body corporate”, etc., depending on the
terminology used in competent jurisdictions.
Note 2 to entry: Person is capitalized to indicate that it is being utilized as formally defined in the standards and
to differentiate it from its day-to-day use.
Note 3 to entry: Minimum and common external constraints applicable to a business transaction often require
one to differentiate among three common subtypes of Person, namely “individual”, “organization”, and “public
administration”.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 15944-1:2002, 3.47]
3.37
register
information store or database maintained by a registry (3.46)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.104]
3.38
registered item
metadata item (3.23) that is recorded and managed in a metadata registry (3.26)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.105]
3.39
registrar
representative of a Registration Authority (3.42)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.106]
3.40
registration
inclusion of a metadata item (3.23) in a metadata registry (3.26)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.108]
Note 1 to entry: In this part of ISO/IEC 11179, registration also requires that a minimum set of administrative
information about the metadata item be specified, such that it becomes a registered item (3.38).
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3.41
registration acting body
RAB
type of organization (3.30) participating in the registration (3.40) process of administered items (3.1)
Note 1 to entry: Currently, there are three RABs: Registration Authority (RA) (3.42), Stewardship Organization
(StO) (3.53), and Submitting Organization (SuO) (3.56).
3.42
Registration Authority
RA
organization (3.30) responsible for maintaining a register (3.37)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.109]
3.43
registration authority identifier
identifier (3.11) assigned to a Registration Authority (3.8)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.110]
3.44
registration state
information about the registration (3.40) of an administered item (3.1)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.111]
3.45
registration status
designation (3.10) of the status in the registration life-cycle of an administered item (3.1)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.112]
Note 1 to entry: Registration status is described in 4.4.2.
3.46
registry
information system for registration (3.40)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.113]
3.47
registry item
item recorded in a registry (3.46)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.115]
3.48
registry item
metadata item (3.23) recorded in a metadata registry (3.26)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.115]
3.49
role
specified responsibilities
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.121]
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3.50
scoped identifier
identifier (3.13) of an identified item (3.12) within a specified namespace (3.27)
Note 1 to entry: A namespace (3.27) provides the scope within which the scoped identifier uniquely identifies the
identified item.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.122]
3.51
stewardship
responsibility for the maintenance of administrative information (3.2) applicable to one or
more administered items (3.1)
Note 1 to entry: The responsibility for the registration (3.40) of metadata (3.22) can be different from the
responsibility for stewardship of metadata.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.125]
3.52
stewardship contact
steward
contact (3.7) information associated with a stewardship (3.51)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.126]
3.53
stewardship organization
StO
organization (3.30) that maintains stewardship (3.51) of an administered item (3.1)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.127]
Note 1 to entry: In edition 2, this was called responsible organization.
3.54
submission
act of submitting a metadata item (3.23) for registration (3.40) in a metadata registry (3.26)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.130]
3.55
submission contact
submitter
contact (3.7) information associated with a submission (3.54)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.131]
3.56
submission organization
submitting organization
SuO
organization (3.30) that submits a metadata item (3.23) for registration (3.40)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.132]
Note 1 to entry: In edition 2, the abbreviation used was SO. It has been changed in this edition because responsible
organization was renamed to stewardship organization (StO).
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3.57
version
unique version identifier (3.11) of the scoped identifier (3.50)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 3.2.142]
4 Concept of operation
4.1 Metamodel of a Metadata Registry
ISO/IEC 11179-3 provides a conceptual metamodel of a Metadata Registry for describing data. The
metamodel specifies a number of metadata items, including: data element, data element concept,
value domain, conceptual domain, concept system and others. ISO/IEC 11179-1 provides the means for
understanding and associating the individual parts and is the foundation for a conceptual understanding
of metadata and metadata registries.
This part of the ISO/IEC 11179 standard addresses the specifics that are common to registration of any
metadata item. It is envisioned that an organization may extend its Metadata Registry with additional
items that are to be registered. It is also envisioned that the standard may be extended at a later time
to specify additional metadata items. Others may want to use this part of ISO/IEC 11179 to register and
manage locally defined metadata item types that are not defined in Part 3. This part of ISO/IEC 11179
also applies to the registration of items specified in ISO/IEC 19763, such as models, model elements, and
mappings.
4.2 Metadata Items
Figure 1 shows the types of items specified by ISO/IEC 11179-3:2013, 5.5. In the Figure, the notation
<> indicates the u
...