GEOS-DP-004 — Data Pipeline Entry Specification

Version 1.0 Status: Normative Standard

0. Purpose and Scope ————————

GEOS-DP-004 defines the Entry boundary specification for GEOS-certifiable Data Pipeline.

This document specifies:

• what a Data Pipeline may accept at its Entry boundary;

• the required properties of Entry inputs;

• the obligations of the Data Pipeline with respect to Entry handling.

This document:

• is conceptual and normative, not implementation-specific;

• is technology-independent;

• applies uniformly across all subject domains (e.g., Foundational Numeracy);

• does not certify Data Sources.

1. Entry Boundary Definition ——————————--

The Entry boundary of a GEOS Data Pipeline is the controlled interface through which external inputs are admitted into the Pipeline.

A Data Pipeline:

• MUST define exactly one logical Entry boundary;

• MAY implement multiple physical Entry mechanisms, provided they are logically equivalent;

• MUST treat all admitted inputs as untrusted until validated per this specification.

The Entry boundary marks the point at which GEOS audit, traceability, and integrity requirements begin.

2. Permitted Entry Inputs —————————--

A GEOS-certifiable Data Pipeline MUST accept only the following categories of inputs at Entry:

1. **Raw Observation Artifacts ** Discrete records of observed events, interactions, or measurements relevant to an education outcome domain.

2. **Contextual Metadata ** Non-outcome attributes required to interpret observations (e.g., time, location, curriculum reference, cohort identifier).

3. **Pipeline Control Metadata ** Metadata required to support traceability, versioning, and audit (e.g., source identifier, submission timestamp, schema version).

No other input categories are permitted.

3. Entry Input Requirements ——————————-

All inputs admitted at Entry MUST satisfy the following requirements:

3.1 Structural Validity

Inputs MUST:

• conform to a formally defined schema;

• be machine-parsable;

• be complete with respect to mandatory fields.

3.2 Semantic Explicitness

Inputs MUST:

• use explicitly defined field semantics;

• avoid overloaded or implicit meanings;

• reference controlled vocabularies where applicable.

3.3 Declarative Context

Inputs MUST declare:

• the subject domain to which they pertain;

• the observation type being asserted;

• the temporal scope of the observation.

4. Entry Validation Obligations ———————————--

A Data Pipeline MUST perform validation at Entry that:

• confirms structural and semantic compliance;

• rejects malformed or incomplete inputs;

• records validation outcomes as audit evidence.

Rejected inputs MUST NOT enter downstream Pipeline stages.

5. Entry Neutrality Requirement ———————————--

The Entry specification:

• MUST NOT assume any specific Data Source technology;

• MUST NOT require knowledge of upstream system internals;

• MUST NOT impose operational requirements on Data Sources beyond declared Entry contracts.

The Data Pipeline declares what it accepts; it does not govern how inputs are produced.

6. Dependency Declaration —————————--

A Data Pipeline MUST declare:

• the schemas it accepts at Entry;

• the vocabularies and reference frameworks it depends upon.

A Data Pipeline MUST NOT declare or assume any downstream uses of its outputs.

7. Relationship to Other Specifications ——————————————-

• Entry traceability obligations are elaborated in GEOS-DP-006

• Entry integrity controls are elaborated in GEOS-DP-007

• Entry evolution rules are elaborated in GEOS-DP-008

No additional requirements are implied by this document.

END of GEOS-DP-004 — Data Pipeline Entry Specification