010. ADR: Reference Data Ingestion and Ownership for Milestone Updates
Date: 03-07-2026
State: Proposed/Accepted/Deprecated/Superseded
Status: Approved
Context
OSDU reference data is ingested and maintained across multiple environments. As the platform evolves through milestone releases, a clear ownership and update process is needed to ensure reference data remains consistent, up-to-date, and correctly governed across Fixed, Local, and Open categories.
This ADR defines the ACL ownership model and the update process for each category of reference data, as well as the responsibilities of all teams involved.
Reference Data Categories
1. Fixed
Fixed reference data originates directly from the OSDU Forum and is not modified locally.
- Source: OSDU GitLab (upstream)
- Update Trigger: A new OSDU milestone release
- ACL Owners:
data.osdudevops.owners - ACL Viewers:
data.office.global.viewers
When a new milestone is released, the platform team is responsible for ingesting the updated Fixed reference data into all environments.
2. Local
Local reference data is managed by teams within the organisation. Current ownership is as follows:
| Reference Data | Owner Group |
|---|---|
| CRS / CT | data.geodetics.owners |
| Units of Measure (UoM) | data.tdidp.owners |
| All remaining kinds | data.osdudevops.owners (interim) |
Ownership Transition Rule
If a kind has more than one owner ACL and one of the owners is osdudevops.owners (OSDU Data Platform Team), the platform team will:
1. Transfer full ownership of that kind to the other owner team.
2. Remove data.osdudevops.owners from the ACL owner list for that kind.
Milestone Update Process
- When a new milestone is available, the platform team will communicate the update to all relevant teams.
- Each team is responsible for updating the reference data kinds they own in response to the milestone release.
3. Open
The ownership model and milestone update process for Open reference data follows the same rules as Local (see above).
Platform Documentation
The platform documentation page (platform.osdu.equinor.com) will be updated to include a dedicated page listing:
- All available reference data kinds.
- The ACL owner for each kind, per environment.
This page will serve as the authoritative reference for teams to identify who owns each reference data kind across environments.
Modification Policy
- Any team wishing to modify any reference data kind must take full responsibility for that entire kind — including future updates and milestone alignment.
- Teams making changes to reference data must consider the consumers of their data and evaluate how those consumers may be affected by the changes. Communication with downstream consumers is expected before making breaking or significant changes.
Consequences
- Ownership of reference data kinds is clearly defined per team, reducing ambiguity and dependency on the platform team.
- The platform team (
osdudevops.owners) will progressively reduce its ownership of Local/Open reference data kinds as other teams take responsibility. - A centralised documentation page ensures all teams have visibility into current ownership across environments.
- Teams are empowered — and accountable — for keeping their reference data current across milestone releases.
- Consumer awareness is embedded in the change process, reducing the risk of unintended downstream impact.