Product requirement: Expanded relationships between entities with additional attributes
M
Main Newt
Product requirement: Expanded relationships between entities with additional attributes
Objective of the request
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Entities can currently be linked together, but no additional information can be collected in the relationship itself. In many applications, however, it is necessary for a relationship between two objects to have its own attributes.
The aim of this requirement is therefore to add additional fields to links between entities so that information can be stored directly at the relationship.
Extend relationships with additional information
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When linking two entities, it should be possible to collect additional information that is specific to that relationship.
The relationship thus becomes its own information carrier. This means that not only are the two objects connected to each other, but that metadata can also be stored via this connection.
This information should both:
directly when creating the link
as well as via forms or questionnaires
can be recorded.
Use case: processes and systems
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A central use case concerns the linking of processes and systems.
A process can be connected to multiple systems. At the same time, each system can have different requirements or characteristics in the context of this process.
Examples of such information in the relationship:
criticality of the system for the process
RTO/ RPO requirements
manual replacement procedure
responsibilities
special operating requirements
This information does not apply to the system in general, but exclusively to the relationship between a specific process and a specific system.
Use Case: Business Continuity Management (BCM)
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In BCM, additional information on the relationship between processes and supporting systems must often be documented.
examples:
Dependence of the process on the system
maximum tolerable downtime
alternative systems or workarounds
special restart requirements
This information belongs logically to the relationship and not exclusively to one of the two entities.
More use cases
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treaties
Linking contracts to systems or suppliers may require additional information, such as:
Contract relevance for a specific system
SLA parameters
Duration or notice periods in the context of a specific use
risk assessments
Even in risk assessments, information can be specific to a relationship.
examples:
Risk of a system for a specific process
Evaluation of the probability of occurrence in the context of this relationship
existing controls for this specific dependency
Integration with forms
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In addition, it should be possible to enter this information directly via forms or questionnaires.
Sample flow:
- Select a process
- Selecting a system
- Collecting additional information about the relationship
- Automatic creation of the link including the entered attributes
As a result, relationships between entities can be recorded in a structured and consistent manner without the need for subsequent manual maintenance of the data.
Expected added value
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This feature would allow:
significantly more precise modelling of dependencies between objects
structured recording of complex relationships
Better mapping of real requirements in areas such as BCM, risk management and contract management
automated creation and maintenance of relations via forms
M
Main Newt
I also see potential here for protection needs analysis, ISMS and ICS.
The “tab” and “access solution” should also be implemented right away.
Happy to limit it to frameworks. Each framework collects its own information about the entities and their links.