Metadata API

The LEXIS Metadata API handles the creation of empty datasets and the management of metadata including a way to query them. Example of creation of a dataset could look like this:

• Request for dataset creation is received

• The metadata service creates an appropriate collection (folder) in the target iRODS zone

• Assigns the supplied metadata (title, owner, creation time, etc.)

• Pushes the metadata to the OpenSearch index

• Return unique dataset ID to the user

The concept of keeping metadata in two places allows fast metadata access (OpenSearch) and metadata replication (iRODS).

Source code

The source code and endpoint documentation for the metadata API is available at: https://opencode.it4i.eu/lexis-platform/data/api-v2.

Swagger documentation can be found at: https://api.lexis.tech/api/ddiapi/v2/meta/docs

Indexing

The LEXIS DDI stores the metadata of datasets in an OpenSearch cluster, which is easily scalable and allows efficient listing and querying of complicated metadata schemes. It is used to provide fast response times for listing datasets and full text search capabilities of the API.

FAIR concept

To make the datasets in the LEXIS Platform FAIR, we enforce the users to use the DataCite standard, so that the metadata can be easily exported to 3rd party services such as B2FIND. The platform allows also access to the published datasets through a HTTPS protocol.