FDSA Architecture

Overview

The data sharing process involves the flow of requests, approvals, and information between the AD Workbench, which is researchers’ front door, and the federated data sharing appliance (FDSA), which is data contributors' front door. 

  • Researchers log in to AD Workbench to discover remote datasets in the catalog and request access.  
  • Data contributors receive access requests through FDSA to approve or deny. 
  • If access requests are approved, researchers submit a remote query using the Query Builder within AD Workbench. 
  • Before the results of the queries are released to researchers, data contributors can approve or deny them through FDSA.  
  • If the results are approved, researchers receive results in airlocked workspaces within AD Workbench. 

High Level Architecture Diagram

Third-party Software Notices and Information

FDSA incorporates the following third-party components, each integral to the appliance's functionality: 

  • Docker - For containerization and deployment. 
  • nginx - For reverse proxy, load balancing, and web server functionalities. 
  • Python - The core programming language for backend services. 
  • PostgreSQL - The primary relational database management system. 
  • Flask - A web framework for building APIs and web services. 
  • Docker Compose - For orchestrating multi-container Docker applications. 
  • Hasura GraphQL Engine - For providing a real-time GraphQL API. 
  • Keycloak - For managing authentication and authorization processes. 

Contact and Support

For support and more information, email fdsa.support@alzheimersdata.org


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