The distinction between the Control Plane and the Data Plane is a key separation that enables the management of the access decisions separately from the technical data transfer mechanisms. This approach contributes to ensuring that the data exchanges are done in a secure and governed manner, according to the data space rules.
Firstly, the Control Plane gathers all the processes needed to enable an exchange. In this setting, it is determined whether data access is permitted, evaluating the participant’s identity, the existence of current contractual agreements [4.0], compliance with usage policies and the validity of the required consents. These verifications are executed by the PDC [2.1], that acts as the control point to authorize only those flows that fulfill the pre-established conditions (see the connector’s documentation following this link). This control approach guarantees that no data flow is activated without authorization, reinforcing data sovereignty and ensuring that every exchange is supported by agreements and defined rules.
Once the exchange has been authorized, the Data Plane is in charge of carrying out the data transfer efficiently. This setting focuses on the technical aspects of the exchange, such as data or metadata transmission between the participant’s connectors, using the mechanisms defined by the PTX Protocol (see: https://github.com/Prometheus-X-association/dataspace-connector/wiki/Data-Exchange) The data plane doesn’t introduce new authorization decisions, but it operates exclusively on the basis of the permissions previously granted by the Control Plane.
The PTX Protocol incorporates support for the codification and negotiation of MIME Types inside the data flows, ensuring that all the parties can act correctly and exchange information in a consistent manner.
This exchange model also facilitates the integration of auxiliary services, such as data transformation, addition and de-identification within Service Chains, that can be configured in a permanent or transactional manner, always under the original contract rules. This approach facilitates advanced use cases and sustained value flows within the data space.
Video: Control Plane vs. Data Plane
