Overview
ISO/IEC 10027:1990 - Information technology - Information Resource Dictionary System (IRDS) framework - defines the conceptual framework for an Information Resource Dictionary System (IRDS). It establishes the context, vocabulary and high‑level architecture used across the IRDS family of standards. The standard describes what an IRDS is (a shareable repository for enterprise information resource definitions), the data content model, and the major processors and interfaces through which IRDS services are provided.
Key topics
- IRDS purpose and scope: Provides a common basis for creating and managing Information Resource Dictionaries (IRDs) that document enterprise information resources (data item types, files, programs, subsystems, processes and responsible personnel).
- Terminology and definitions: Standardized definitions (IRD, IRD definition, IRD level, level pair, application level, schema, partition, lifecycle, etc.) to ensure consistent use across implementations.
- Data levels and level pairs: Defines multi‑level data architecture where upper levels contain type/schema information and lower levels contain instances; introduces the concept of level pairs (type + instance).
- Data modelling facilities: Specifies that IRDS standards rely on explicit data modelling facilities (e.g., entity‑relationship, SQL/DDL or other modelling languages) for defining structure, constraints and semantics.
- IRDS facilities and classification: Distinguishes general database management facilities from facilities specific to information resource management (creation, maintenance, auditing, status management, partitions).
- Interfaces and interface styles: Prescribes interfaces and their positioning, including programmatic (procedure call), panel/graphical, abstract syntaxes and export/import formats; covers remote access and service conventions.
- Export/Import and conformance: Describes export/import file role and conformance considerations for IRDS implementations.
Practical applications and users
ISO/IEC 10027:1990 is relevant to organizations and professionals involved in metadata and information resource management:
- Enterprise architects and data architects who design centralized metadata repositories and data dictionaries.
- Database administrators and system integrators implementing shareable IRDs and integrating them with application databases.
- Software vendors building IRDS products or metadata management tools seeking standardized interfaces and data models.
- Standards developers and teams aligning enterprise metadata with international IRDS family standards.
Practical use cases include centralized metadata governance, documentation of application schemas and interfaces, controlled export/import of metadata, and establishing interoperable IRDS services for distributed systems.
Related standards
- ISO 7498 (OSI reference model) concepts are referenced for terminology and architecture.
- ISO/IEC 9075 (SQL) is cited as a normative reference for database language considerations.
Keywords: ISO/IEC 10027:1990, IRDS, Information Resource Dictionary System, data levels, metadata management, IRD, export/import, data modelling, interfaces, information resource management.