Feature/issue 343 metadata endpoint

ga4gh / data-repository-service-schemas

A repository for the schemas used for the Data Repository Service.

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Feature/issue 343 metadata endpoint #390

Closed MichaelLukowski closed 1 year ago

MichaelLukowski commented 2 years ago

This is a PR for introducing a new metadata endpoint that supports an arbitrary JSON response at a new /metadata/{object_id} endpoint.

There is a need for requestor pays and egress for additional metadata of DRS objects that shouldn't be included in the /object endpoint.

This will also be useful for a best practice of "complex objects" where one DRS id can point to a json file that describes many DRS objects.

dglazer commented 1 year ago

Sorry if I missed earlier discussion of this PR, but I'm not following the intended use of this new method, or how it would address the stated goals fetching requestor-pays content or supporting complex objects. Is there more background somewhere? (I did look at #343 and didn't see answers there.) I'll reserve most comments until I hear back, but in general I think providing a method that returns arbitrary unspecified metadata creates a big risk of breaking interoperability.

ianfore commented 1 year ago

Referring back to this hackathon exploration and the DRS issue that generated it.

It may be a separate use case - all depends on exactly what metadata are intended in each situation. The hackathon was following an approach that aligns with "bundling alternatives" described in PR 389. Both 336 and 389 rely on higher level schemas that provide the metadata.

Despite the ambiguity, the motivation of this issue and 389 seems to be the same. So am also waiting on what @dglazer asked.

Commenting on arbitrary unspecified metadata creates a big risk of breaking interoperability. Yes, a shared concern. A key characteristic of the protocols (e.g. Data Connect) that provide the higher level schemas is that allow for, and encourage, for those metadata to be well specified.