EPC Architecture
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1 2 The GS1 EPCglobal Architecture Framework 3 GS1 Version 1.7 dated 18 April 2015 4 5 Authors: 6 7 Ken Traub (Ken Traub Consulting LLC) [email protected], Editor 8 Felice Armenio (Johnson & Johnson) [email protected] 9 Henri Barthel (GS1) [email protected] 10 Paul Dietrich (Impinj) [email protected] 11 John Duker (Procter & Gamble) [email protected] 12 Christian Floerkemeier (MIT) [email protected] 13 John Garrett (TESCO) [email protected] 14 Mark Harrison (University of Cambridge) [email protected] 15 Bernie Hogan (GS1 US) [email protected] 16 Jin Mitsugi (Keio University) [email protected] 17 Josef Preishuber-Pfluegl (CISC Semiconductor) [email protected] 18 Oleg Ryaboy (CVS) [email protected] 19 Sanjay Sarma (MIT) [email protected] 20 KK Suen (GS1 Hong Kong) [email protected] 21 John Williams (MIT) [email protected] 22 Copyright © 2005 – 2015 GS1 a.i.s.b.l., All Rights Reserved. Page 1 of 66 23 Abstract 24 This document defines and describes the GS1 EPCglobal Architecture Framework. 25 EPCglobal is an activity of the global not-for-profit standards organization GS1, and 26 supports the global adoption of the Electronic Product Code (EPC) and related 27 industry-driven standards to enable accurate, immediate and cost-effective visibility 28 of information throughout the supply chain The GS1 EPCglobal Architecture 29 Framework is a collection of hardware, software, and data standards, together with 30 shared network services that can be operated by GS1, its delegates or third party 31 providers in the marketplace, all in service of this common goal. This document has 32 several aims: 33 • To enumerate, at a high level, each of the hardware, software, and data standards 34 that are part of the GS1 EPCglobal Architecture Framework and show how they 35 are related. 36 • To define the top level architecture of shared network services that are operated 37 by GS1, its delegates, and others. 38 • To explain the underlying principles that have guided the design of individual 39 standards and service components within the GS1 EPCglobal Architecture 40 Framework. 41 • To provide architectural guidance to end users and technology vendors seeking to 42 implement GS1 EPCglobal standards and to use EPC Network Services. 43 This document exists only to describe the overall architecture, showing how the 44 different components fit together to form a cohesive whole. It is the responsibility of 45 other documents to provide the technical detail required to implement any part of the 46 EPCglobal Architecture Framework. 47 Audience for this document 48 The audience for this document includes: 49 • Hardware developers working in the areas of developing EPC tags and EPC- 50 enabled systems and appliances, including devices to read and write tag data. 51 • Software developers working in the areas of developing EPC middleware and 52 business applications that use, create, store and/or share EPC-related information. 53 • Enterprise architects and systems integrators that integrate EPC-related processes 54 and applications into enterprise architectures. 55 • Participants of GSMP Working Groups working on defining requirements and 56 developing EPCglobal standards. 57 • Industry groups, governing organizations, and companies that are developing or 58 overseeing business processes that rely on EPC technology. 59 • Members of the general public who are interested in understanding the principles 60 and terminology of the EPCglobal Architecture Framework Copyright © 2005 – 2015 GS1 a.i.s.b.l., All Rights Reserved. Page 2 of 66 61 Status of this document 62 This section describes the status of this document at the time of its publication. Other 63 documents may supersede this document. The latest status of this document series is 64 maintained by GS1. See www.gs1.org for more information. 65 This document is a GS1 approved document and is available to the general public. 66 Comments on this document should be sent to the GS1 Architecture Group mailing 67 list [email protected]. 68 Table of Contents 69 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 6 70 2 Architecture Framework Overview ......................................................................... 7 71 2.1 Architecture Framework Activities .................................................................. 8 72 2.2 Architecture Framework Standards .................................................................. 9 73 3 Goals for the EPCglobal Architecture Framework ............................................... 10 74 3.1 The Role of Standards .................................................................................... 10 75 3.2 Global Standards............................................................................................. 11 76 3.3 Open System ................................................................................................... 11 77 3.4 Platform Independence ................................................................................... 11 78 3.5 Scalability and Extensibility ........................................................................... 11 79 3.6 Data Ownership .............................................................................................. 11 80 3.7 Security ........................................................................................................... 12 81 3.8 Privacy ............................................................................................................ 12 82 3.9 Open, Community Process ............................................................................. 12 83 4 Underlying Technical Principles ........................................................................... 12 84 4.1 Unique Identity ............................................................................................... 13 85 4.1.1 Uniqueness Considerations for “Closed” Systems .................................. 15 86 4.1.2 Use of the Electronic Product Code ......................................................... 16 87 4.1.3 The Need for a Universal Identifier: an Example ................................... 16 88 4.1.4 Use of Identifiers in a Business Data Context ......................................... 17 89 4.1.5 Relationship Between GS1 Keys and EPCs ............................................ 19 90 4.1.6 Use of the EPC in EPCglobal Architecture Framework .......................... 22 91 4.2 Decentralized Implementation ........................................................................ 23 92 4.3 Layering of Data Standards – Verticalization ................................................ 24 93 4.4 Layering of Software Standards—Implementation Technology Neutral ....... 24 94 4.5 Extensibility .................................................................................................... 24 Copyright © 2005 – 2015 GS1 a.i.s.b.l., All Rights Reserved. Page 3 of 66 95 5 Architectural Foundations ..................................................................................... 25 96 5.1 Electronic Product Code ................................................................................. 25 97 5.2 EPC Issuing Organization .............................................................................. 25 98 5.3 EPC Hierarchical Structure ............................................................................ 26 99 5.4 Correspondence to Existing Codes ................................................................. 26 100 5.4.1 A GS1 Company Prefix Does Not Uniquely Identify a Manufacturer .... 27 101 5.5 Class Level Data versus Instance Level Data ................................................. 28 102 5.6 EPC Information Services (EPCIS) ................................................................ 28 103 6 Roles and Interfaces – General Considerations..................................................... 30 104 6.1 Architecture Framework vs. System Architecture ......................................... 30 105 6.2 Cross-Enterprise versus Intra-Enterprise ........................................................ 31 106 7 Data Flow Relationships – Cross-Enterprise ........................................................ 32 107 7.1 Data Sharing Interactions ............................................................................... 33 108 7.2 Object Exchange Interactions ......................................................................... 35 109 7.3 ONS Interactions ............................................................................................ 35 110 7.4 Number Assignment ....................................................................................... 38 111 8 Data Flow Relationships – Intra-Enterprise .......................................................... 38 112 9 Roles and Interfaces – Reference .......................................................................... 41 113 9.1 Roles and Interfaces – Responsibilities and Collaborations ........................... 43 114 9.1.1 RFID Tag (Role) ...................................................................................... 43 115 9.1.2 EPC Tag Data Standard (Data Specification) .......................................... 43 116 9.1.3 Tag Air Interface (Interface) .................................................................... 44 117 9.1.4 RFID Reader (Role) ................................................................................. 44 118 9.1.5 Reader Interface (Interface)