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1. Onboarding to AgrospAI

This guide details the steps to obtain the necessary credentials to operate within AgrospAI. Having these credentials is an essential requirement to be able to publish, buy, or consume data.

Introduction​

The AgrospAI data space is based on the Pontus-X ecosystem and some of the services of the Gaia-X Trust Framework. These technologies ensure the secure, transparent, and sovereign reuse of data.

The following subsections detail the procedures for integrating and operating within this environment.

STEP 1: Obtain participant credential​

Initially, participation in the AgrospAI data space will be based on a managed approach, following the initial governance model where the demonstrator promoter will be responsible for managing the data space and generating both participant credentials and private keys. The Universitat de Lleida, as the promoter of AgrospAI, will be responsible for publishing signed credentials and providing participants with their private keys so they can interact with the data space. It will also keep a copy of the private keys in custody to facilitate participant support and in case of emergency, for example, if the participant loses their private key.

Later, once participants become familiar with the AgrospAI data space, they can opt for a self-sovereign approach, where they generate their own private key according to the instructions in the Pontus-X ecosystem documentation. It is important to note that, in this case, participants will be fully responsible for their private key. This includes ensuring it is not lost or leaked, maintaining secure backups, and assuming full responsibility for their interactions with the data space.

To complete the credential acquisition, and as required by both the Pontus-X ecosystem and Gaia-X, all participants must provide the following details about their organization. Interactions with the space are made on behalf of participating organizations and not in a personal capacity. This is, therefore, information about the corresponding legal entity; no personal data will be collected or registered under any circumstances.

note

If you wish to join the AgrospAI data space, you can send the required information by email to agrospai@udl.cat, indicating "Adhesion to ED – [Company Name]" in the subject line. This way, the promoter can process your request.

The information required from any legal entity to participate in AgrospAI, aligned with the requirements established by the Gaia-X Trust Framework for the description of participants includes:

  • Name: short name.
  • URL: main website address of the legal entity.
  • Legal name: the officially registered name.
  • Legal registration number: for EU participants, the NIF or VAT number is recommended, which can be verified online. Other alternatives are EUID, EORI or LEI.
  • Country subdivision code: based on the ISO 3166-2 standard, which combines the country code and a subdivision code that varies in each country.
  • Legal address: street, postal code, and locality.

Example:

  • Name: UdL
  • URL: https://www.udl.cat
  • Legal name: Universitat de Lleida
  • NIF: ESQ7550001G
  • Country subdivision code: ES-L
  • Legal address:
    • Street: Víctor Siurana, 1
    • Postal code: 25003
    • Locality: Lleida

The data space promoter will register this information through the channels established in the Pontus-X ecosystem, as a necessary step for the participant to operate in the ecosystem. Additionally, it will offer participants the option to generate and store their Gaia-X Verifiable Participant Credentials based on the previous information. Alternatively, detailed instructions and source code examples will be provided to participants so they can self-sovereignly generate, digitally sign, and store their own credentials.

Examples of credentials for some of AgrospAI's participants:

The above credentials can be validated using the Gaia-X Digital Clearing House (GXDCH) service, for example, the staging variant of GCDCH version 1: https://compliance.lab.gaia-x.eu/v1-staging/docs

🎥 If you prefer, you can follow this step-by-step video guide.

STEP 2: Activating transactions in the portal​

Transaction automation allows participants to conduct transactions without the need for a digital wallet and, at the same time, avoids having to manually approve each operation. This makes it the simplest and most direct way to interact with the data space to buy or publish assets.

Prerequisites​

  • Have the file with your private key and its corresponding password.

Steps to activate automation​

  1. Access the portal.
  2. Go to the upper right corner of the interface and click the icon with two opposing arrows.
  3. In the dropdown menu, click "Import wallet" and then "Select file".
  4. Browse your device for the file containing your private key and select it.
  5. Enter the file's password to start the decryption process. This step may take a few seconds.
  6. If decryption is successful, a message will appear in the icon's pop-up menu indicating “Automation available”.

Automation status​

note

Automation is deactivated when you log out or if the session expires due to inactivity.

  • Blue icon with green dot: automation is active and working correctly.
  • Padlock over the icon: the session has expired, and it will be necessary to re-enter the file password.

Result​

Once automation is activated, you will be able to interact with the data space, and transaction signatures will be performed automatically, without manual intervention.

🎥 If you prefer, you can follow this step-by-step video guide.

OPTIONAL: Digital wallet configuration​

Although it is no longer necessary, participants can use MetaMask if they prefer to manage keys and signatures manually.

The recommendation for configuring and using a wallet is to use the MetaMask browser extension. This extension is available for iOS, Android, and various desktop browsers, as shown in Fig. 1. It can be downloaded from https://metamask.io/download/ and then follow the installation instructions.

Fig. 1. MetaMask download page (source: https://metamask.io/download/)

Once the MetaMask extension has been installed and configured, creating a new wallet and protecting it with a password, the private key provided by the data space promoter can be imported. The private key will be provided as a JSON file (with a ".json" extension) along with a password with which the private key is protected.

To import the private key, follow the detailed instructions at: https://support.metamask.io/es/start/how-to-import-an-account/#how-can-i-import-my-private-key-using-a-json-file

In case of wanting to use one of those generated autonomously by the participant, the corresponding public key must be communicated to the promoter so that its use is authorized and associated with the participant's credentials.

🎥 If you prefer, you can follow this step-by-step video guide.