ATM is the base for communication. Each type manager is responsibile for the business objects of the same type. The OSM framework extends the Type manager through constraint-based types which allow logical constructs in variable expressions. Searching for Information Metadata has a major role in GAIA Discovery Services. Metadata can be both unstructured or severely constrained.
Unstructured systems lose their efficiency as the dataset grows.
XAPI was used for communication in the DFR protocol. The server uses a database to sstore the information objects which are retrieved through normal SQL queries. The system runs on Windows95 and Unix, and can be accessed via the internet. The best way to structure a set of information for effective searching depends heavily on the characteristics of the content, users and application domain. Either customer accepts suggested price and conditions or not, if not then negotiation.