Here you can find the most frequently asked questions and answers related to the interoperability platform.
Is all data content on the interoperability platform publicly visible online?
In principle, all data content is public domain, but if content producers wish to restrict the way in which their material is viewed, they can choose the status ‘Under Construction’/'Hidden'. Data content marked in this way (terminologies, concepts, reference data and data vocabularies) can only be viewed by those to whom the content producer has granted access rights.
How to fix errors in data content?
The responsibility for fixing errors and inconsistencies in core vocabularies, terminologies, and reference data belong to owner of the data content. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) is responsible for maintaining the platform and its tools, but not the data content.
What is the interoperability method?
The interoperability method is a shared way of managing, maintaining, and creating the knowledge structure and metadata of digital services and their respective information flows. By using the methodology, the semantic interoperability of information is maintained, meaning that the meaning of the information remains unchanged when it is exchanged. The method is support by the FI-Platform, which enables unified definition of information contents, and effective and transparent co-operation of different actors in information management.
How does the FI-Platform promote interoperability?
Interoperability is often divided into legal, organizational, semantic and technical interoperability. The FI-Platform is focused on the semantic interoperability aspect. Semantic interoperability is defined as interoperability, which allows the transfer and handling of data in a way in which the meaning of the data remains unchanged and understandable for all parties.
What roles are there on the FI-Platform?
There are five roles associated with the interoperability platform tools and access rights management: main user, data model editor, terminology editor, code list editor, and member.
The main user of the organization has access to all interoperability platform tools. The main user also grants access rights to persons in their own organization (approves requests for access rights from members of the organization).
The terminology editor can create and edit terminologies in the Terminologies Tool.
The code list editor can import new code sets into the Reference Data Tool, edit them, and add descriptive information to the code sets of their own organizations.
The data model editor can create new application profiles and edit data models of their own organizations in the Data Vocabularies Tool.
Members can view the organization’s material marked with the status ‘Under Construction’. Members do not have editing rights.
Main user or key user?
The organization's main user is the organizations administrator. Key user means the same and they is used in the same context. This training material will use the term "main user" to describe this.
For whom is Data Vocabularies Tool intended for?
The Data Vocabularies Tool is intended for
- information officers in an organization
- data architects and modelers
- anyone searching for information in the data repositories of public administration
- administrators of registries and data repositories who wish to make their data machine-readable
- system vendors building new systems that use data and data models from the information systems and applications of public administration
Can the Data Vocabularies Tool be used in another type of data modelling than modelling logical schemas?
Yes it can be. The Data Vocabularies Tool can be used in different ways, for example, in conceptual data modelling and star schema. However, it is primarily intended for modelling logical schemas. Its notation is based on the unified modeling language (UML), but it is less extensive as opposed to the wide definition of UML. Class diagram arrows have a one-way function and show association between different classes, whereas the classical UML model has associations functioning both ways, or have an undefined association.
What is the difference between the Eduuni-ID and FI-Platform accounts?
Authentication on the FI-platform is based on the Finnish Eduuni-service. To use the FI-platform tools, an active Eduuni-ID is required to log in to the FI-platform. Eduuni-ID is a management account, which is based on the user’s email address. Eduuni services require registration of an email address and its verification. In addition, the user must provide their first and last name and the name of the organization. The login method can be selected from the following list of supported methods.
List of supported login methods:
- Organisational accounts: Haka, Virtu or eduGAIN or accounts supported by Microsoft Office 365 (Azure AD) services.
- ORCID, B2ACCESS, MPASS
- Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, X (former Twitter) or Yahoo! -accounts
Content created to the FI-Platform requires an organization which is responsible for the content. Because of this, you are not able to create content with the FI-Platform’s tools without an Eduuni account. The Eduuni account needs to be connected to some organisation FI-Platform has given access rights to. If your organization is not one of the known users of the FI-Platform, see more information below.
If there is a change in your information, please update your information here: Eduuni
How can an organisation join to the FI-Platform?
Data content on the FI-Platform is open data and available for use as-is; browsing and downloading does not require access rights on the FI-Platform.
This instruction is only for organisations who want to add their data content on the FI-Platform. If you would like to add your organization on the FI-Plaform, please follow the instructions below:
1.Arrange a "kick-off" meeting. Before joining the FI-Platform, you need to arrange a meeting with FI-platform support.
A. Contact us via email yhteentoimivuus@dvv.fi
B. In the email, please tell briefly about your plans, needs and what kind of data content are you planning to import on the FI-Platform
C. In the kick-off meeting, we will introduce the use of the FI-Platform, interoperability method and other things related to deployment of the FI-Platform.
2. Fill in the user license application form
A. The FI-Platform can be joined by filling out the right of use form and by accepting the terms. Inquiries for more detailed information at yhteentoimivuus@dvv.fi
3. Add the main user of the organization as a user of the FI-Platform
A. FI-Platform support will add your organization to access rights management if your organization is accepted as a data content creator.
B. The main user needs to register an Eduuni-ID before the organization can be added to the FI-Platform.
C. The main user needs to log in to some of the FI-Platform tools so the user will become visible in the FI-Platform access rights management.
4. Fill out your organization's details in access rights management
A. Fill out your organization’s details in access rights management
B. When an organization is created, FI-Platform support will inform the main user about this by email.
C. The main user will fill out the other information related to the organization
The number of main users is not limited. It is recommended to have at least two main users.
What is a variant?
A variant is a modified version of a certain code set created for specific use. As the variant has a different use, it may deviate from its mother code set on, for example, the embedded number of codes or hierarchy levels. It is possible to add a variant into the code set by creating a relationship and a link between the two code sets by following the path from the “Add function” option and selecting “Add a variant to code set”. Examples of variants are Municipalities of the capital area (variant of the mother code set Municipalities 2023) or the 5-year age group in the unemployment benefit code set (variant of the 1-year age group -code set).
How one can utilize the data models described in Data Vocabularies in the describing and implementation of API’s?
It is possible to generate alternative schema formats (JSON Schema, XML Schema, SHACL) from an information model, which include human-readable documentation and any links to permanent URI’s (Uniform Resource Identifier). For example, it is possible to reuse the Data Vocabularies Tool generated JSON-Schema description for an Open API / Swagger API specification, or the XML Schema description as a part of a WSDL description.