This page is a work in progress.

The following table defines various concepts:

ConceptDefinition
DOCA division, office, or center.
archiveA location in which you can store data for later retrieval, or the process of storing that data in that location.
collectionA folder for a dataset or project. A collection might have one or more collections within it. A collection can be identified by a custom collection type such as Project, Study, Sample, and so on, the default

being Folder.

metadataAttribute values associated with your data in the archive. The system automatically generates some metadata for each collection or file in the archive. Some data might also have custom (user-defined) metadata. Metadata make it easier for you to find the associated data.
metadata fileA file that contains metadata for each object (data file) or collection in a bulk upload, as described in Preparing a Metadata File for Bulk Upload.
attributeA field for a piece of information that helps to describe your data.
data hierarchyAn arrangement or classification of data. In DME, data are stored as objects, which are organized into collections (folders), and a collection might have one or more collections within it. A collection can be identified by a custom collection type such as Project, Study, Sample, and so on, the default being Folder.
metadata policy fileA file that defines valid collection types.
DOC policy file

A file that specifies the required attributes for each collection type.

data object or data fileA file that will be or has been uploaded to DME.
synchronousTransfer of files using processes that run sequentially. This type of transfer is not optimal for large files.
asynchronousHigh performance transfer (upload or download) of large files, using processes that run independently of other processes.
GlobusA program that supports asynchronous transfer of large files.
endpointA destination that represents a location on a file transfer service server, such as gridftp.