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Release: CX-Saturn (Preview)

Who: Roles in the Catena-X ecosystem

The Catena-X ecosystem operates on the principle of multiple distinct roles, designed to create an appealing and functional data space (see Figure Role Overview and Relationships). Participants can take on one or more roles in any combination, and multiple participants can fulfill the same role except for the CSP-B role. The CSP-B role can only exist once in the data space due to complexity and technical reasons. Provider roles receive a label through a certification or qualification process to demonstrate that they are trusted partners (see Chapter How: Life Cycle Management).

Overview of roles​

Role Overview and Relationships
Role Overview and Relationships

Detailed description of each role​

Below, each role that a participant can assume in the Catena-X data spaces is described in detail, along with its assigned description, responsibilities, relationships, prerequisites, and complements. Please refer to Chapter What: Service Map for an overview of the Service Map.

Core Service Provider A​

Role: Core Service Provider A (CSP-A)

Description/Responsibilities:

A CSP-A is responsible for deploying, operating, and maintaining Core Services A according to Catena-X standards. Core Services A provides common business functionalities for all data space participants (e.g., managing marketplace offers, semantic models, or searching for business partner information).

A CSP-A can operate various bundles of Core Services A, whereby the operation of an IAM and a marketplace is mandatory. Note that the synchronization of marketplace offers is at the discretion of a provider, who may submit and list its offer on multiple marketplaces. The CSP-A role can be taken on by multiple participants.

For smooth operations, the CSP-A must provide comprehensive technical documentation, along with first, second, and third-level support to facilitate integration with its services. Each CSP-A has freedom of choice regarding their business model towards their potential customers.

Relationships:

  • A CSP-A must implement an IAM synchronization and must integrate with other CSP-As.
  • A CSP-A must implement an IAM synchronization with an OSP.
  • A CSP-A must integrate with the CSP-B to be able to offer and operate its services. This includes implementing IAM synchronization and integrating with required Core Services B.
  • A CSP-A must use the services of one of the OSPs to register and onboard itself to the data space (e.g., registration service).
  • A CSP-A must accept any certified solution that wants to be listed on its marketplace in accordance with its respective terms and conditions, without discriminating against individual organizations.

Prerequisites:

  • A CSP-A and its services must be certified by a CAB.
  • A CSP-A must accept and comply with the Catena-X regulatory framework during onboarding via one of the OSPs.
  • A CSP-A must prove compliance with TISAX Level 3.
  • A CSP-A must be registered to the Catena-X data space.

Current Limitations:

  • Due to technical limitations, the CSP-A role currently cannot be fully assumed and executed more than once. Further details can be found in Chapter Increase Decentralization of Core Services or can be requested during the conformity assessment.

Core Service Provider B​

Role: Core Service Provider B (CSP-B)

Description/Responsibilities:

The CSP-B is responsible for deploying, operating, and maintaining all Core Services B according to Catena-X standards. Core Services B include identity and common accessibility and discoverability functionalities for all data space participants.

The CSP-B operates all Core Services B as one bundle to enable trusted participation and sovereign data exchange across all data space participants. The CSP-B role can only be taken on by one participant and is nominated by the Catena-X Association to operate and further develop the services on their behalf.

For smooth operations, the CSP-B must provide comprehensive technical documentation, along with first, second, and third-level support to facilitate integration with its services.

Due to its special role, the CSP-B is responsible for:

  • providing non-discriminatory access to Core Services Section B for all data space participants.
  • coordinating the release management of Core Services B in the data space (with affected participants) based on Catena-X Association and Tractus-X releases.
  • marketing Core Services B and managing contractual partners.
  • issuing and revoking access of BPNs to the data space based on the country clearance list by the Catena-X Association.
  • temporarily executing the trust anchor role and issuing verifiable credentials.

Relationships:

  • The CSP-B must support the integration of all other data space participants to the Core Services B.
  • A CSP-B must implement an IAM synchronization with CSP-As and OSPs.
  • A CSP-B must integrate the GXDCH provided by the Catena-X Association.

Prerequisites:

  • A CSP-B must be nominated by the Catena-X Association.
  • A CSP-B must be a Catena-X Association member.
  • A CSP-B and its services must be certified by a CAB.
  • A CSP-B must offer a partnerRegistration API to any OSP requesting it
  • A CSP-B must accept and comply with the Catena-X regulatory framework via an MoU with the Association.
  • A CSP-B must prove compliance with TISAX Level 3.
  • A CSP-B must be registered to Catena-X data space.

Current Limitations:

  • To ensure complete functionality of the data space, the CSP-B must also operate the relevant services of both the CSP-A and OSP roles.
  • Further details can be found in Chapter Increase Decentralization of Core Services.

Onboarding Service Provider​

Role: Onboarding Service Provider (OSP)

Description/Responsibilities:

OSPs are responsible for deploying, operating, and maintaining onboarding services according to Catena-X standards. These services facilitate the registration, onboarding, and offboarding of participants within the Catena-X data space. The OSP utilizes the CSP-B to validate data (e.g. name, address, identifier of the company) related to onboarding processes and must integrate with the partnerRegistration API of the CSP-B. This ensures that all data adheres to Catena-X standards and maintains the integrity and trustworthiness of the data space. The OSPs must provide comprehensive technical documentation and support (first, second, and third level) to facilitate the integration of services and assist users and other stakeholders.

Relationships:

  • An OSP must integrate with the CSP-B to access the required endpoints.
  • An OSP must implement an IAM synchronization with the CSP-B.
  • An OSP must be connected to a DCH.

Prerequisites:

  • An OSP and its services must be certified by a CAB.
  • An OSP must accept and comply with the Catena-X regulatory framework.
  • An OSP must be registered to Catena-X data space.

Current Limitations:

  • The OSP currently covers only part of the registration process in the Catena-X data space. The currently available process is depicted in figure General Onboarding Process.
  • Offboarding Processes Under Development: Comprehensive offboarding processes are currently in development to ensure that they are as robust as onboarding processes and will be included in future updates. Simple and manual offboarding processes are already available.
  • Until the OSP role is fully established and utilized, the connection between DCH and OSP is only partially implemented in practice. Consequently, registration and identity verification processes are currently handled by a CSP-B

Digital Clearing House​

Role: Digital Clearing House (DCH)

Description/Responsibilities:

The Digital Clearing House (DCH) acts as a trusted external service within the Catena-X Data Space to ensure reliable and secure onboarding of participants. Its primary responsibilities are to verify the legal identity of organizations and, where applicable, issue digitally signed self-descriptions.

To fulfill its role, the DCH works with two complementary concepts. Trusted Data Sources are authoritative institutions such as tax authorities, business registers, or independent registries. They provide the verified information needed to confirm an organization’s legal identity. The DCH must be transparent toward the Catena-X Association about which sources it uses in each country or jurisdiction. Since most of these sources cannot issue digital identities themselves, this task falls to Trust Anchors, which create secure digital identities based on validated data. Depending on the country or jurisdiction, the DCH may act directly as a Trust Anchor or connect to an existing one. In both cases, the result is a consistent and reliable identity framework that participants across the Catena-X ecosystem can trust, even when regional regulations differ.

To address regional regulatory and technical requirements, there may be multiple regional DCHs (e.g., EU, Asia-Pacific). These DCHs operate in a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive manner, meaning each DCH is responsible for a specific regional scope without overlap, while together ensuring a globally consistent and interoperable trust and onboarding process.

A DCH is an organization that has been officially nominated by the Catena-X Association and acts on behalf of the Association in defined governance processes. The nomination of DCH follows the formal nomination procedure led by the Catena-X Association.

Relationships:

  • Each region has exactly one DCH responsible for its defined scope. Regional DCHs are therefore mutually exclusive and MUST NOT overlap.
  • DCHs interact with Trusted Data Sources and Trust Anchors in accordance with country- and region-specific requirements.

Prerequisites:

  • A DCH must be nominated by the Catena-X Association.
  • Business model supporting adoption and offering non-discriminating access, esp. by small and medium businesses.

Current Limitations:

  • Use of DCH services may vary by region until global standards and identifiers are fully adopted.

Enablement Service Provider​

Role: Enablement Service Provider (ESP)

Description/Responsibilities:

An ESP is responsible for deploying, operating, and maintaining enablement services according to Catena-X standards.

An ESP can operate various bundles of decentralized services that enable sovereign participation and data exchange for data providers and consumers in the Catena-X Data Space. An ESP can decide on the scope of its enablement service and whether to offer them on one or multiple of the marketplaces.

In addition, ESPs can also offer non-standardized services such as automated data mapping, in which data is extracted from company systems and converted into Catena-X semantic models.

Relationships:

  • An ESP can use one or more CSP-A services (e.g., semantic hub).
  • An ESP must integrate and use CSP-B services to access its identity (e.g., identity wallet) and enable data exchange.
  • An ESP must use the services of one of the OSPs to register and onboard itself to the data space (e.g., registration service).

Prerequisites:

  • An ESP and its services must be certified by a CAB.
  • An ESP must accept and comply with the Catena-X regulatory framework during onboarding via one of the OSPs.
  • An ESP must prove compliance with TISAX Level 2.
  • An ESP must be registered to Catena-X data space.

Current Limitations:

n/a

Business Application Provider​

Role: Business Application Provider (BAP)

Description/Responsibilities:

A BAP is responsible for deploying, operating, and maintaining business applications to Catena-X standards. Business applications enable data providers and consumers to leverage different use cases and data-driven processes to solve a specific industry problem (e.g., PCF) and create business value, by using KITs and Standards for an interoperable and trusted data exchange.

A BAP can decide on the scope of its business applications and whether to offer them on one or multiple of the marketplaces

Relationships:

  • A BAP can use one or more CSP-A services (e.g., semantic hub).
  • A BAP must integrate and use CSP-B services to access his identity (e.g., identity wallet) and enable data exchange.
  • A BAP must use the services of one of the OSPs to register and onboard itself to the data space (e.g., registration service).

Prerequisites:

  • A BAP and its services must be certified by a CAB.
  • A BAP must list its solution on a marketplace provided by a CSP-A.
  • A BAP must accept and comply with the Catena-X regulatory framework during onboarding via one of the OSPs.
  • A BAP must prove compliance with TISAX Level 2.
  • A BAP must be registered to Catena-X data space.

Current Limitations:

n/a

Advisory Provider​

Role: Advisory Provider (AP)

Description/Responsibilities:

An AP offers advisory services in various areas, from strategy to operations to technology or business use cases, for those interested in the Catena-X data space. Providing advisory services includes topics such as onboarding guidance, business value assessment, organizational and technical enablement, but does not include the operation of technical services.

An Advisory Provider can be an organization or individual that has proven their competence through a formal qualification or testing process via the Catena-X Campus. The qualification of an AP follows the formal qualification procedure led by the Catena-X Association.

Relationships:

  • An AP can use one or more CSP-As if it intends to utilize specific CSP-A services such as listing an offer on a marketplace.
  • An AP can integrate and use CSP-B services to access the Core Services B as long as it is registered within the Catena-X data space.
  • An AP must use the services of one of the OSPs to register and onboard itself to the data space (e.g., registration service).

Prerequisites:

  • An AP must be qualified by the Catena-X Association.
  • An AP must accept and comply with the Catena-X regulatory framework during onboarding via one of the OSPs.
  • An AP MAY be registered to the Catena-X Data Space.

Current Limitations:

n/a

Attestation Provider​

Role: Attestation Provider (AtP)

Description/Responsibilities:

An Attestation Provider offers attestation services in various areas, ensuring that data, processes, or claims made by organizations are accurate, reliable, and verifiable. This is typically done through an independent review based on defined criteria or standards. By issuing an attestation, the provider takes professional responsibility for the trustworthiness of the information assessed. This builds trust among stakeholders who rely on that information.

An Attestation Provider can be an organization or individual that has proven their competence through a formal qualification or testing process via the Catena-X Campus. The qualification of an AtP follows the formal qualification procedure led by the Catena-X Association.

Relationships:

  • An AtP MAY use one or more CSP-As if it intends to utilize specific CSP-A services such as listing an offer on a marketplace.
  • An AtP can integrate and use CSP-B services to access the Core Services B as long as it is registered within the Catena-X data space.
  • An AtP must use the services of one of the OSPs to register and onboard itself to the data space (e.g., registration service).

Prerequisites:

  • An AtP must be qualified by the Catena-X Association via the Catena-X Campus.
  • An AtP must accept and comply with the Catena-X regulatory framework during onboarding via one of the OSPs.
  • An AtP must be registered to the Catena-X data space.

Current Limitations:

  • An AtP offers services that are conducted or consumed outside the Data Space and therefore do not have a direct operational role within the Data Space itself.

Data Provider/Consumer​

Role: Data Provider and Consumer (DPC)

Description/Responsibilities:

A DPC provides, consumes, and processes data to collaborate with other data space participants to solve a specific industry problem und create business value. This includes both standardized use cases and direct collaboration.

Relationships:

  • A DPC can use the services of a CSP-A (e.g., marketplace).

  • A DPC must integrate and use CSP-B services to access his identity (e.g., identity wallet) and enable data exchange.

  • A DPC must use the services of one of the OSPs to register and onboard itself to the data space (e.g., registration service). This can be delegated to a BAP or ESP

  • A DPC must connect with another DPC to exchange data and create value.

  • A DPC can use advisory services from a qualified AP.

  • A DPC can use certified enablement services from a commercial ESP (e.g., a SaaS solution). Alternatively, a DPC can certify and operate its own enablement services.

  • A DPC can use certified business applications from a commercial BAP (e.g., a SaaS solution). Alternatively, a DPC can certify and operate its own business application.

Prerequisites:

  • A DPC must use certified enablement services or business applications. Alternatively, a DPC must certify its own enablement services and/or business applications by one of the CABs (as outlined in Chapter Conformity Assessment).
  • A DPC must accept and comply with the Catena-X regulatory framework during onboarding via one of the OSPs
  • A DPC must prove compliance with TISAX Level 2.
  • A DPC must be registered to Catena-X data space.

Current Limitations:

n/a

In addition to the roles in the data space, there are independent roles such as the Catena-X Association, Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) or Digital Clearing Housee (DCH) to ensure the neutral, trustworthy, and secure operation of the Catena-X data space.

Catena-X Association​

Role: Catena-X Association

Description/Responsibilities:

The Association is responsible for the neutral governance of the Catena-X ecosystem including the execution of nomination, standardization, qualification, and certification processes. It promotes and facilitates working groups, committees, and expert groups to discuss and align on, standards, KITs, and requirements for open-source reference implementation for the Catena-X operating system and use cases. In addition, it provides various informational resources to interested parties and Association members.

Relationships:

  • The Association nominates the CSP-B and CABs.
  • The Association delegates the certification of data space participants to CABs.
  • The Association defines the Issuer of verifiable credentials.
  • The Association qualifies APs.
  • The Association promotes, sponsors, and coordinates the overlying requirements of the Eclipse Tractus-X Project with a view to standardization.

Prerequisites:

n/a

Current Limitations:

For the upcoming releases, there will be a dedicated issuer concept in place. As of now, the Association defines the Issuer (CSP-B). Further details can be found in Chapter SSI Issuer Concept. An outlook can be found in Chapter Further Integration of SSI Technologies.

Conformity Assessment Body​

Role: Conformity Assessment Body (CAB)

Description/Responsibilities:

A CAB carries out the conformity assessment process, in accordance with the Catena-X Certification Framework, on behalf of the Catena-X Association. The Certification Framework consists of the certification manual and the certification catalog (derived from the (Catena-X standards)). A CAB is nominated by the Catena-X Association to ensure an independent, trustworthy, and secure conformity assessment process.

A CAB is responsible for:

  • creating offers for the conformity assessments.
  • carrying out the conformity assessment process for various certification objects (e.g., provider, solutions).
  • informing the Catena-X Association and the certification candidate about the certification results.
  • issuing, reissuing, and revoking certificates on behalf of the Catena-X Association.

Relationships:

  • The CAB must carry out the conformity assessment for all affected data space participants and their IT solutions.

Prerequisites:

  • A CAB must be nominated by the Catena-X Association and comply with the Catena-X certification framework.
  • Business model supporting adoption and offering non-discriminating access, esp. by small and medium businesses.

Current Limitations:

n/a

Sandbox Provider​

Role: Sandbox Provider (SP)

Description/Responsibilities:

A Sandbox Provider is responsible for deploying, operating, and maintaining a Catena-X Sandbox according to Catena-X standards. A Catena-X Sandbox includes all CSP-B and OSP components required to provide a functioning Catena-X operating environment see also Chapter What-Service Map for more details. An SP operates the Sandbox as one bundle of services to enable coherent testing of sovereign data exchange and services across all basic data space functionalities. Please take a look at the chapter Service map for a complete description of Catena-X Sandboxes.

For smooth operations, an SP must provide comprehensive technical documentation and first, second, and third-level support to facilitate integration with its services. Each SP has freedom of choice regarding their business model towards their potential customers.

Given that the Catena-X brand derives much of its value throug trust, Catena-X Sandboxes must only accept trusted users that went through the official Catena-X registration process via one of the OSPs, including the acceptance of the general Catena-X terms and conditions (10 golden rules, data exchange governance...). As Sandboxes are not directly linked to the Catena-X Operating Environment, a listing on the data space clearance list serve as proof for trusted users.

Relationships:

  • An SP can operate independently from the CSP-B as Catena-X Sandboxes remain strictly separate from the Catena-X Operating Environment (e.g. no sync/mapping of BPNs).
  • An SP must only onboard users which are already onboarded on the productive Catena-X dataspace via an OSP or CSP-B.
  • An SP must advertise a clear migration path to the productive Catena-X Operating Environment to its users.
  • An SP must use the services of one of the OSPs to register and onboard itself to the data space (e.g., registration service).
  • An SP must accept and comply with the Catena-X regulatory framework during onboarding via one of the OSPs or CSP-B.
  • An SP offering its Sandbox to official Catena-X conformity assessment services must be nominated by the Catena-X Association.

Prerequisites and Limitations:

  • Operating a Catena-X Sandbox requires specific approval from the Catena-X Association and the signing of a self-assessment.
  • An SP is responsible for upholding certification verifications and checks for compliance with the Catena-X governance framework, given that a direct connection with the CSP-B is currently infeasible. Thereby, the Catena-X Association and the CSP-B are also not responsible or liable for any SLAs provided by the SP.