Skip to content

Get the MDS connector

drmVR edited this page May 10, 2024 · 9 revisions

Environments

The MDS Portal provides different deployment environments for you to use. Environments can be switched via the selector in the top bar of the MDS Portal.

environment-selector

The selection is global and affects all areas of the portal that deal with connectors. Also, the amount of free CaaS is limited per environment.

Connectors

The Eclipse Dataspace Components (EDC) Connector is the key component for connecting to the MDS and providing and consuming data. There are two options to access the MDS with:

  • Connector-as-a-Service (CaaS)
  • On-premise installation

Connector-as-a-Service

A CaaS is a cloud-based service that enables integration and data exchange between different systems and applications in a very easy way. In this case: The MDS facilitates smooth data communication and exchange in between the MDS members.

Together with our partner sovity we provide a platform that acts as a mediator between your system and those of other MDS members. Thus, the CaaS helps you to reduce the complexity of integrating and exchanging data, as no own operating environment and no detailed IT-knowledge is needed.

The CaaS is the simplest way to receive a registered and compliant connector.

If you seek to add a CaaS to your organization in the MDS, click "Add Connector".

add-connector

Select "I need a connector".

choose-connector-registration

In case the amount of free connectors for the selected environment is not exceeded, you will be able to proceed with the registration.

request-caas

Fill out the CaaS details and click "Request CaaS".

request-caas-form

After the registration, you will find your newly registered CaaS in the "Connectors" list. The provisioning process of your new connector may take some time. The current status can be tracked in the connector details.

connector-list-with-example-caas

The creating user is registered in sovity Keycloak and receives an invitation via email.

image

Once the account has been confirmed, a password and 2FA has been set up, users can log in with the chosen credentials

image

After logging into the portal and clicking on Connectors, you can see the list of your connectors and, for example, use this list to access the frontend of your CaaS.

image

On-premise installation

The installation of an on-premise connector consists of two steps:

  1. Register your connector.
  2. Set up and configure the connector.

1. Register your connector

If you seek to add a Connector to your organization in the MDS, click "Add Connector".

add-connector

Select "I have a connector".

choose-connector-registration

Fill out the "Add Connector Details" form and click "Next" to proceed.

register-connector-form

After entering your Connector details, you now need to give the stated information in the "Generate Certificate" form and click "Generate & Download Certificate".

register-connector-generate-certificate

The certificate will automatically be filled into the respective field in the registration form and the download will be triggered. Click on “Register Connector” to finalize the connector registration process.

register-connector-finish

On the following page you will find further instructions on how to set up your on-premise Connector and a link to the open-source repository edc-extensions providing all you need to set up your Connector.

Find your newly registered Connector in the "Connectors" list.

connector-list-with-example-edc

2. Setup and configure the connector

We recommend using the MDS version of the Eclipse Dataspace Connector, which is used as reference for configuration. Nevertheless, you can use any other connector which is compatible with the EDC, MDS Catalogue and MDS Logging House.

A deployment guide for self-hosting a functional MDS EDC can be found here.

Clone this wiki locally