Pattern-based access control in a decentralised collaboration environment

RWTH Publications (RWTH Aachen), vol. 2636, pp. 118–131

Abstract

As the building industry is rapidly catching up with digital advancements, and Web technologies grow in both maturity and security, a data- and Web-based construction practice comes within reach. In such an environment, private project information and open online data can be combined to allow cross-domain interoperability at data level, using Semantic Web technologies. As construction projects often feature complex and temporary networks of stakeholder firms and their employees, a property-based access control mechanism is necessary to enable a flexible and automated management of distributed building projects. In this article, we propose a method to facilitate such mechanism using existing Web technologies: RDF, SHACL, WebIDs, nanopublications and the Linked Data Platform. The proposed method will be illustrated with an extension of a custom nodeJS Solid server. The potential of the Solid ecosystem has been put forward earlier as a basis for a Linked Data-based Common Data Environment: its decentralised setup, connection of both RDF and non-RDF resources and fine-grained access control mechanisms are considered an apt foundation to manage distributed building data.

Authors 6

1. Jeroen Werbrouck Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen

2. Ruben Taelman
3. Ruben Verborgh
4. Pieter Pauwels
5. Jakob Beetz Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen

6. Erik Mannens