The design of components that will be part of the IT infrastructure for the new data exchange can be done either by adapting already existing tools and infrastructure, or a mixture of new development and existing tools, or completely from scratch. To reduce development and testing costs as much as possible, it is highly recommended to look at the existing SDMX tools before considering starting a new development.
A key, open-source tool for reporters is the SDMX Reference Infrastructure (SDMX-RI). It offers a web service for the pull mode, data connectors to local data storage, a mapping design and storage, and push facilities. It can also be customised for use locally after installation, and has a supporting community. Also, use of the Common Statistical Production Architecture (CSPA) services, architecture and methods is very highly recommended for the gains in reuse, quality, and architectural best practices.
A testing plan should be designed for the IT infrastructure with test cases that are based on the requirements of the SDMX project. This testing plan can be created before the build phase starts, and can be bolstered by automated test cases if software is available.
If you have any questions regarding how to best approach the design of an IT infrastructure, feel free to contact the SDMX Technical Working Group.
Output of this phase: an IT infrastructure design for the project that can be handed to developers for implementation.