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Contexts and Context Providers

The Higgins definition of Context is based on the Identity Gang definition of Context.

NOTE: in this wiki we often use the term context when to be more precice we really mean a context provider--a service that provides an implementation of a context. 

Every non-empty Context(M3) service has an associated Digital Identity unique identifier namespace. Every Digital Identity associated with a Context(M3) has a unique identifier from this namespace.

Examples of Contexts include directories, informal groups, project teams, collaboration spaces, and communications systems and networks.

In the Java reference a Context(M3) is defined by the IContext interface. Implementations of this interface and the associated IContextFactory interface are usually packaged as a plug-in (see Context Plug-in(M3)).

Responsibilities 

Responsibilities of an IContext implementation

1. Maintain the set of Digital Identities that exist in this context. For example if the context implementation interfaces to an IM chat client for user A, then it will maintain the list of A's buddies.
2. Support addition, deletion, and navigation of contained Digital Identities as allowed by the context's policy
3. Support update and deletion of attributes (Claims) of contained Digital Identities as allowed by the context's policy
4. Provide the ability to export and import the contents of a context to an RDF data stream
   
5. Act as a container of references to sub-Contexts
6. Maintain (and return on request) the policies related to various kinds of access to Digital Identities
   

Optional IContext implementation responsibilities:

1. Authentication to add a new Digital Identity to the context
2. Authorization of access to Digital Identity profile data using role-based access control lists
3. Support finding DigitalIdentities by query
4. Ability to associate Digital Identities to other Digital Identities within the same context with [Links]
   
5. Support for adding tag properties to Digital Identities and on the [Links] between Digital Identities
6. Replication/distribution/synchronization of context data with external systems (and directly or indirectly, other Higgins frameworks)
   
7. Persistence and encryption of context data
8. Reputation computation

Responsibilities of an IContextFactory implementation:

1. Maintain (and return on request) the policy to open a context
   
2. Authentication of credentials to open the context
3. Resolve a context reference and open a context
4. Close a context

Digital Identity Networks

In a given Context(M3) a Digital Subject is represented as one or more Digital Identities engaged in interactions with other Digital Identities. These interactions between Digital Identities are represented by [Link] objects between pairs of Digital Identities. Digital Identities are connected by these [Links] into a directed graph structure. This graph is often referred to as the Network (as in social network). A Context(M3) with no inter-Digital Identities links is effectively equivalent to a directory or a list.