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PODS Compliance

As a Standard Pipeline Industry Data Model, the PODS Association has established the following criteria for PODS Compliance. Pipeline Operators and Service Providers implementing the PODS Data Model should do so according to the following PODS Compliant Database criteria. Software vendors writing applications should develop software according to the following PODS Compliant Software criteria.

Companies and vendors that do not meet the above requirements should not refer to their databases or software as PODS compliant, even if some of the tables are unchanged from the published model. All non-compliant databases or software should therefore be considered proprietary implementations.

PODS Compliant Database

A PODS Compliant Database is defined as follows:

  • The published version of the PODS model is implemented as-published from the PODS Association, and
  • No database objects (e.g. tables, columns, relationships, etc.) are dropped.
  • New tables and columns may be added to the PODS model as long as they are in keeping with the general design and philosophy of the model
  • Triggers, stored procedures, sequences, and other database objects and schemas may be created and added to the model as necessary

To summarize, a PODS Compliant model is one where no objects are dropped, but new tables/columns may be added.

The PODS Association highly recommends that users document any modifications that are made to the model. This should allow the user organization to simply run scripts to upgrade when new versions of the model are released.

PODS Compliant Software

PODS Compliant Software is defined as follows:

  • The software will run against a published version of the PODS model implemented as-published from the PODS Association
  • The software does not need to support all of the PODS tables
  • The software does not require that any database objects (tables, columns, relationships) be dropped in order to run
  • The software may require additional tables/columns, triggers, stored procedures, sequences, etc.

Additional levels of PODS Database and software compliance will be defined in the future.