EPCglobal Network
Encyclopedia
The EPCglobal Network is a computer network
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....

 used to share product data between trading partners. It was created by EPCglobal
EPCglobal
EPCglobal is a joint venture between GS1 and GS1 US .It is an organization set up to achieve worldwide adoption and standardization of Electronic Product Code technology....

. Basis for the information flow in the network is the Electronic Product Code
Electronic Product Code
The Electronic Product Code is designed as a universal identifier that provides a unique identity for every physical object anywhere in the world, for all time. Its structure is defined in the EPCglobal Tag Data Standard , which is an open standard freely available for download from the website...

 (EPC) of each product which is stored on an RFID tag.

The network manages dynamic information that is specific to variable for individual products. This includes data regarding the movement of an object throughout the product life cycle.

The EPCglobal Network consists of the following components:
  • Object Naming Service
    Object Naming Service
    Object Name Service is a mechanism that leverages Domain Name System to discover information about a product and related services from the Electronic Product Code . It is a component of the EPCglobal Network....

     (ONS)
  • EPC Discovery Services
  • EPC Information Services (EPCIS)
  • EPC Security Services


The ONS is a service that enables the discovery of object information on the basis of an EPC. With the Electronic Product Code a matched URL
Uniform Resource Locator
In computing, a uniform resource locator or universal resource locator is a specific character string that constitutes a reference to an Internet resource....

or IP-address is searched within a data base and sent back to the requester when found. Under the URL further information about the object which is associated with the EPC can be found. The ONS is comparable to the Domain Name System which is used in the internet to translate names into IP addresses. The ONS is an instantiation of Discovery Services.

The Discovery Services are an instrument to find EPC Information Services within the network. They can be compared to search engines of the internet. They offer trading partners the ability to find all parties who had possession of a given product and to share RFID events about that product.

The (EPCIS) is a standard designed to enable EPC-related data sharing within and across enterprises. This data sharing is aimed to enable all network participants a common view of object information. At the EPCIS each company designated who has access to its dynamic information.

The EPC Security Services are tools which allow a secured access to the information of the EPCglobal network in accordance to the access rights of the participants.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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