Commonly used terms
- Actor
A person, organization, or system that has one or more roles that initiates or interacts with activities. Example: The SATRE architecture needs actors such as data analysts and internal auditors.
- Application component
An encapsulation of application functionality which is modular and replaceable. Example: To perform work within a TRE a data analyst might need access to a Desktop or command line interface application component.
- Architectural principle
Fundamental guidelines that inform the design, decision making and implementation of a TRE. These principles provide a framework to ensure that the design of the underlying components of a TRE are aligned to consistent goals, values and best practices.
- Business process
A set of actions which produce a specific desired outcome. Example: to access the TRE a data consumer needs to complete an onboarding business process.
- Capability
An ability that a system possesses. Capabilities are typically expressed in general and high-level terms. Achieving a capability typically requires a combination of organisation, people, processes, and technology.
- Capability decomposition
A set of components that realise a capability. These components will vary depending on the nature of the capability. Business-focused capabilities will be realised by business processes, roles and services. Technology-focused capabilities will be realised by applications, services and interfaces. In addition to the components realising the capability, a catalogue of standards, frameworks and controls linked to the capabilities will provide guidance on how to implement the capabilities safely.
- Component
The statements concerning processes, controls, practices and applications that make up a capability, together with an importance label.
- Data Object
A store of data or information. For example: to know what data is stored within the TRE a study database data object is needed. This contains information on the data assets within the TRE, who owns them and other compliance information.
- Role
A role is a set of connected behaviors, rights, obligations and norms within a TRE system. Roles are occupied by individuals, who are called actors.
- Specification pillar
A specification pillar is a group of related capabilities. SATRE has four specification pillars: Information governance, Computing technology, Data management and Supporting Capabilities.
- Trusted Research Environment (TRE)
A Trusted Research Environment. See our FAQs page.
- TRE organisation
A TRE organisation is the set of people, processes and technology that operate and use a particular TRE.