Provenance backbone is represented in finalised provenance information as a provenance graph with prescribed structure. The structure is depicted in Figure 5. The structure of the backbone is following:
- The receiptActivity activity uses (prov:used) backwardConnector entities and generates (prov:wasGeneratedBy) currentConnector entities. Each pair of currentConnector and respective backwardConnector is related using derivation (prov:wasDerivedFrom) relation if and only if the particular currentConnector was somehow affected by the backwardConnector.
- The receiptActivity activity invalidates (prov:wasInvalidatedBy) the backwardConnector entities.
- The mainActivity activity uses (prov:used) the currentConnector entities and generates (prov:wasGeneratedBy) forwardConnector entities. Each pair of currentConnector and respective forwardConnector is related using derivation (prov:wasDerivedFrom) relation if and only if the particular forwardConnector was somehow affected by the currentConnector.
- backwardConnector entity is attributed (prov:wasAttributedTo) to receiverAgent.
- forwardConnector entity is attributed (prov:wasAttributedTo) to senderAgent.
Figure 5: Provenance graph structure of the traversal information. Figure adapted from [Wittner2022].
Domain specific information is attached to the provenance backbone information by application of the Compound Activities Pattern [Moreau2013]. Technically, the main and the receipt activities contain an attribute (dct:hasPart) listing sub-activities which the respective activity consists of. Inputs and outputs of the activities and sub-activities are related using the PROV specialisation relation. The pattern is depicted in Figure 6.
Figure 6: Schema of the traversal information with the domain specific provenance information attached to it. Agents are omitted for simplicity. Figure adapted from [Wittner2022].
Linking of provenance components is depicted in Figure 7.
Figure 7: Interconnecting provenance components that contain the traversal information expressed according to the CPM. CC: current connector; BC: backward connector; FC: forward connector. Agents are omitted for simplicity. The figure is adapted from [Wittner2022].