TSG Playground

The playground is a real data space running on the internet. You don't install anything. You log in as one of three companies and watch them share data without any of them being in charge.

This page sets the scene. The three steps after it each take a few minutes and build on each other, so go through them in order the first time.

The problem a data space solves

Companies want to share data, but on their own terms. Uploading everything to a central platform means giving up control. Building a separate API integration with every partner means shared passwords, allow-lists and a lot of phone calls.

A data space takes a third route. Every company keeps its data at home and runs its own connector. The connectors answer three questions for every exchange:

Question	Answered by	Step
Who am I dealing with?	Verifiable Credentials in a Wallet	1. Identity
What data is out there?	Each company's own catalog	2. Discovery
Under which terms, and how does it arrive?	A Control Plane negotiates, a Data Plane delivers	3. Data exchange

Meet the cast

The Authority vouches for each company. After that it steps aside: companies talk to each other directly. Only Charlie holds the research credential, which matters in step 3.

• Alice and Charlie each offer an HTTPBin dataset that any member may use.
• Bob offers a research dataset. Only research partners get access.
• The Authority decides who is a member and who is a research partner. It issues the credentials and plays no part in the exchanges themselves.

HTTPBin is a test service that sends your request back to you. There is no real business data in the playground, so you can try anything.

Before you start

Every playground screen uses the login playground / test. Everyone shares that account, so don't enter real data.

Open the links from the steps in a second tab so you can keep the instructions next to the screen. All URLs are also listed in the reference.

Start with how Alice, Bob and Charlie know who they are talking to.

Next: 1. Identity