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Service Hierarchy

StatusProposal
Date2025-07-22

FAIR's discovery system operates on multiple levels:

Repositories​

  • Host and distribute actual package files
  • Primary content storage layer

Aggregators​

  • Index and list Repositories and their packages
  • Provide search and discovery interfaces
  • Can list other Aggregators (recursive)

Discovery Services​

  • Higher-level directories that aggregate multiple Aggregators
  • Enable ecosystem stakeholders to create unified search experiences
  • Examples: Hosting companies, CMS vendors, large developer communities
  • Can combine multiple Aggregators into single interface/API

Example Hierarchy​

Discovery Service (Hosting Company A)
├── Aggregator (Dev Company 1)
│   ├── Repository A
│   └── Repository B
├── Aggregator (Dev Company 2)
│   ├── Repository C
│   └── Repository D
└── Own Repository + Aggregator

This hierarchy enables horizontal scaling while maintaining FAIR's decentralized principles.