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1. Definition 2. Functional Requirements 3. Syntax 4. Semantics

1 Definition

Rules is a collection of Rule items, each of which includes a Process, a deontic verb
– Permission, Prohibition, or Obligation, and a Process Action.

2 Functional Requirements

A Rule is represented by the following sequence

  1. Process (identified by an ID or by Metadata)
  2. Deontic Verb (one of May, May Not, or Must)
  3. Process Action
  4. Item (optional)
  5. Time (optional)

where:

Process refers to a Process identified by an ID or having specific Metadata.
Item refers to an Item identified by an ID or by having
– Specific Metadata
– A Qualifier
– One or more parameters.
Time refers to a single Time, a Duration, or a recurring Time.

The Rules of an M-Instance satisfy the following requirements.

  1. The Rules of an M-Instance include the economic rules of the M-Instance.
  2. The Rules of an M-Instance are accessible to all Users having business with the
    M-Instance.
  3. The Rules of an M-Instance are changed according to a process accessible to all Users
    having business with the M-Instance. Requirements 4 to 22 specify that process.

Publication and entry into force

  1. A change to the Rules of an M-Instance or of an M-Environment shall be published as a
    new Rules Item with a new Identifier, carrying the Identifier of the Rules Item it
    supersedes, a Publication Time, and an Effective Time.
  2. The Effective Time of a Rules Item shall be later than its Publication Time by no less
    than the Notice Period declared by the Rules in force at the Publication Time.
  3. The M-Instance Manager shall make a new Rules Item perceptible to the Processes it
    governs, by MM-Send or by an equivalent means declared in the Rules in force, before its
    Effective Time.
  4. A Process Action shall be evaluated against the Rules in force at the Time at which it
    was requested, and not against Rules that entered into force after that Time.

Consistency

  1. A Rules Item shall be internally consistent: it shall not carry two Rule elements that
    attach the deontic verbs May and May Not, or May Not and
    Must, to the same Process, Process Action, Item, and Time.
  2. A Rules Item shall be consistent with the M-Instance Capabilities. A change that
    withdraws support for an Action, an Item, or a Qualifier shall take effect together with
    the corresponding change to the M-Instance Capabilities.
  3. The Rules of an M-Environment shall be the same as, or included in, the Rules of the
    M-Instance of which it is part.
  4. A Rules Item shall not refer to a Process Action that the Profile implemented by the
    M-Instance does not include.

Preservation of what has already been granted

  1. Rights held at Status=Final before the Effective Time of a Rules Item shall remain
    exercisable after that Time, unless the Rules Item states the Rights it withdraws, the
    Processes affected, and the compensation, if any, effected by Transaction.
  2. A Transaction completed at Status=Final before the Effective Time of a Rules Item
    shall not be altered or reversed by that Rules Item.
  3. A Licence, Simple Contract, or Contract Object entered into before the Effective Time
    of a Rules Item shall be honoured for the term it states, or the Rules Item shall state
    the Penalties applying to its early termination.

Governance

  1. A Rules Item shall be signed. A Process shall be able to Authenticate a Rules Item and
    to establish, from its Simple Certificate, that it was issued by the M-Instance Manager or
    by a Process holding the Rights to issue it.
  2. A change to the Rules shall itself be a Process Action, performed by a Process holding
    the Rights to perform it, and shall be recorded in Activity Data.
  3. A superseded Rules Item shall be retained and shall remain retrievable by its
    Identifier for the Retention Period it declares, so that a Process Action may be evaluated
    against the Rules that were in force when it was requested.
  4. A Rules Item shall state the Penalties applying to a Process that does not comply with
    it.

Uniform application

  1. The Rules in force shall apply to every Process in the M-Instance or M-Environment they govern, including the Processes of the M-Instance Manager.
  2. A distinction between Processes shall be expressed as the Rights those Processes hold, and not as Rules applying to some Processes and not to others.
  3. No Process shall be subject to Rules other than the Rules Item in force at the Time of its Process Action, as published under requirement 4.
  4. A Process participating in a Session established by Resolve shall be able to establish the Rules in force in each M-Instance taking part in the Session.

Requirements 4 to 7 give effect to the principle that Rules shall not change unexpectedly; 8 to 11, that they shall not change inconsistently; 12 to 14, that they shall not change in ways that undermine trust; 15 to 18, that they shall not change without governance; and 19 to 22, that they shall not change in ways that allow manipulation.

3 Syntax

https://schemas.mpai.community/MMM4/V2.2/data/Rules.json

4 Semantics

Label Description
Header Header of Rules, Standard “MMM-RUL-V2.2”.
MInstanceID Identifier of M-Instance.
MEnvironmentID Identifier of M-Environment.
RulesID The Identifier of the Rules.
RulesVersion The Version of the Rules identified by RulesID.
SupersededRulesID The Identifier of the Rules that these Rules supersede. Absent in the first Rules of an M-Instance or M-Environment.
PublicationTime The Time at which these Rules were made accessible to the Processes they govern.
EffectiveTime The Time from which these Rules are in force. Later than PublicationTime by no less than the NoticePeriod of the superseded Rules.
NoticePeriod The minimum Duration between the PublicationTime and the EffectiveTime of the Rules that will supersede these Rules.
RetentionPeriod The Duration for which these Rules remain retrievable by RulesID after having been superseded.
PenaltiesID Identifier of the Penalties applying to a Process that does not comply with these Rules.
CertificateID Identifier of the Simple Certificate with which these Rules are signed, enabling a Process to Authenticate them.
RuleData[] The elements part of a Rule.
– Process A Process identified by an ID or having specific Metadata.
– DeonticVerb One of May, May Not, and Must.
– ProcessAction As defined by Process Actions.
– Item An Item identified by an ID, or by Metadata, a Qualifier, or one or more parameters. Absent if the Rule applies to the Process Action irrespective of the Item.
– Time A single Time, a Duration, or a recurring Time. Absent if the Rule applies whenever these Rules are in force.
DataXMData Information about this instance of Rules.
DescrMetadata Descriptive Metadata.

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