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Semantic Definition Format (SDF) modeling for Digital Twin
draft-ietf-asdf-digital-twin-02

Document Type Active Internet-Draft (asdf WG)
Authors Hyunjeong Lee , Jungha Hong
Last updated 2025-10-17
Replaces draft-lee-asdf-digital-twin
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draft-ietf-asdf-digital-twin-02
ASDF                                                         H. Lee, Ed.
Internet-Draft                                                   J. Hong
Intended status: Informational                                      ETRI
Expires: 20 April 2026                                   17 October 2025

       Semantic Definition Format (SDF) modeling for Digital Twin
                    draft-ietf-asdf-digital-twin-02

Abstract

   This memo specifies SDF modeling for a digital twin, i.e. a digital
   twin system, and its Things.  An SDF is a format that is used to
   create and maintain data and interaction, and to represent the
   various kinds of data that is exchanged for these interactions.  The
   SDF format can be used to model the characteristics, behavior and
   interactions of Things, i.e. physical objects, in a digital twin that
   contain Things as components.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
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   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   This Internet-Draft will expire on 20 April 2026.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2025 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

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   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (https://trustee.ietf.org/
   license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document.
   Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights
   and restrictions with respect to this document.  Code Components
   extracted from this document must include Revised BSD License text as
   described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are
   provided without warranty as described in the Revised BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.  SDF structure for digital twin  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  Motivation and design rationale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     4.1.  Introduction of sdfContext  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     4.2.  Digital Twin Modeling using elements of an SDF model  . .   5
     4.3.  Relationship modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   5.  Examples of digital twin system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
     5.1.  Overview  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
     5.2.  Marine system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
     5.3.  Healthcare system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
   6.  Requirements for implenmenting digital twin . . . . . . . . .  15
   7.  Procedure for digital twin implementation . . . . . . . . . .  15
     7.1.  Overview  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
     7.2.  Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  16
   8.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  17
   9.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  17
   10. References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  17
     10.1.  Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  17
     10.2.  Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  19
   Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  19
   Contributors  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  19
   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  19

1.  Introduction

   A digital twin is defined as a digital representation of an object of
   interest and may require different capabilities, for example,
   synchronization and real-time support, according to the specific
   domain of application.  [Y.4600].  Digital twin help organizations
   improve important functional objectives, including real-time control,
   off-line analytics, and predictive maintenance, by modeling and
   simulating objects in the real world.  Therefore, it is important for
   a digital twin to represent as much real-world information about the
   object as possible when digitally representing the object.

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   Nowadays, digital twin technologies are applied in various domains
   including manufacturing, energy, medical, farm, transportation, etc.
   And a common format is needed to represent the objects in the domains
   as digital twins.  SDF [I-D.ietf-asdf-sdf] can be used for modeling
   objects as digital twins.

   This document specifies the modeling and guidance on how to use SDF
   to represent objects as digital twins.

2.  Terminology

   This specification uses the terminology specified in
   [I-D.ietf-asdf-sdf] in particular "Class Name Keyword", "Object", and
   "Affordance".

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
   "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in
   BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all
   capitals, as shown here.

3.  SDF structure for digital twin

   This section describes SDF structure with the new Class Name Keyword,
   sdfContext, to represent a thing or an object as a digital twin.  The
   architecture of a digital twin based on the SDF model is illustrated
   in Figure 1, , following the guidelines of [ISO23247-3].

   The Physical Layer comprises affordance and non-affordance objects.
   From the real-world objects, only those deemed relevant are selected
   for representation as digital twins.  The Digital Twin Layer is
   structured into three sublayers: the Device Communication Sublayer,
   the Digital Twin Sublayer, and the Application Sublayer.  The Device
   Communication Sublayer is responsible for monitoring and collecting
   data from both affordance and non-affordance objects.  This sublayer
   provides the necessary data to synchronize the physical objects with
   their digital twin counterparts.  The Digital Twin Sublayer ensures
   synchronization between the affordance and non-affordance objects and
   their respective digital twins using the data provided by the Device
   Communication Sublayer.  The Application Sublayer presents the
   synchronized values of the digital twins to users, facilitating
   informed decision-making.

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        +---------------------------------------------+ - - - - - - - - - - -
        |            Application Sublayer             |
        | +----------+ +------+ +--------+ +--------+ |
        | |  Human   | | HMI  | |  Apps  | |  Peers | |
        | +----------+ +------+ +--------+ +--------+ |
        +---------------------------------------------+
        |           Digital Twin Sublayer             |
        | +----------+ +-------------+ +------------+ |
        | | Operation| | Application | | Resource   | |
        | |    and   | |     and     | | access and | |
        | |management| |   service   | |interchange | |
        | +----------+ +-------------+ +------------+ |
        | +-----------------------------------------+ |  Digital twin Layer
        | |     Digital representation of objects   | |
        | |   +-------------+   +----------------+  | |
        | |   |  Affordance |   | Non-affordance |  | |
        | |   |   objects   |   |    objects     |  | |
        | |   +-------------+   +----------------+  | |
        | +-----------------------------------------+ |
        +---------------------------------------------+
        |        Device Communication Sublayer        |
        |     +-------------+   +----------------+    |
        |     |    Data     |   |     Object     |    |
        |     | collection  |   |     control    |    |
        |     +-------------+   +----------------+    |
        +---------------------------------------------+ - - - - - - - - - - -
        |     +-------------+   +----------------+    |
        |     |  Affordance |   |  sdfContext    |    |
        |     |   objects   |   |    objects     |    |     Physical Layer
        |     +-------------+   +----------------+    |
        +---------------------------------------------+ - - - - - - - - - - -

             Figure 1: Basic Architecture of digital twin

4.  Motivation and design rationale

   The document is based on the underlying structure defined in
   [I-D.ietf-asdf-sdf], which which standardizes the semantic definition
   format (SDF) for representing IoT affordance.  This specification
   provides a strong basis for representing individual devices and their
   features (sdfProperty, sdfAction, sdfEvent, etc.), but additional
   mechanisms are needed to address the unique requirements of digital
   twin modeling.

   Digital twin systems defined in [ISO23247-3] often have to describe
   virtual representations of various physical assets, including
   metadata, identity, contextual relationships, historical data, as
   well as device interfaces.

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4.1.  Introduction of sdfContext

   A new SDF keyword sdfContext described in
   [I-D.draft-ietf-asdf-sdf-nonaffordance] is introduced to represent
   non-functional or metadata elements that describe a device or
   component without implying direct interaction:

   *  Identifier (e.g., UUID, URN)

   *  Location (e.g. site, zone, GPS tag)

   *  Owner (e.g., representative, ,anufacturer)

   These field can appear in both sdfObject and sdfThing contexts and
   follow the same structural pattern as sdfData and is designed for
   scalability.

4.2.  Digital Twin Modeling using elements of an SDF model

   To support hierarchical representations (e.g., a boat composed of
   heater, GPS, and battery subsystems), this document encourages use of
   sdfThing to aggregate related sdfObject components, along with
   metadata.

   The example mapping of digital twin attributes to SDF elements is
   shown in Table 1.

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   +================+==============+==================================+
   | Attribute      | Recommended  | Description                      |
   |                | Mapping      |                                  |
   +================+==============+==================================+
   | Identifier     | sdfContext   | Globally unique digital twin ID  |
   |                |              | (e.g., URN)                      |
   +----------------+--------------+----------------------------------+
   | Characteristic | sdfProperty  | General description or domain    |
   |                | or sdfData   | properties                       |
   +----------------+--------------+----------------------------------+
   | Schedule       | sdfEvent or  | Time-based actions,              |
   |                | sdfData      | availability, or maintenance     |
   +----------------+--------------+----------------------------------+
   | Status         | sdfAction or | Actual or calculated operating   |
   |                | sdfProperty  | conditions                       |
   +----------------+--------------+----------------------------------+
   | Location       | sdfContext   | Physical or logical location     |
   |                |              | information                      |
   +----------------+--------------+----------------------------------+
   | Report         | sdfData      | Measurement summaries,           |
   |                |              | analytics, or logs               |
   +----------------+--------------+----------------------------------+
   | owner          | sdfContext   | Organization or entity           |
   |                |              | responsible for the digital twin |
   +----------------+--------------+----------------------------------+
   | Relationship   | sdfRelation  | Inter-object/inter-twin          |
   |                |              | relationships                    |
   +----------------+--------------+----------------------------------+

      Table 1: Digital Twin Modeling using elements of an SDF model

4.3.  Relationship modeling

   The sdfRelation, defined in [I-D.draft-laari-asdf-relations], is a
   structure for specifying logical or physical relationships between
   objects within an SDF model.  If conventional sdfThing, sdfObject,
   and sdfProperty focus on defining the properties of individual
   digital twins, sdfRelation is a means of expressing interactions and
   structural links between them.  Since these relationships go beyond a
   single digital twin definition, they must be managed in a separate
   structure, where sdfRelation is used.  The sdfRelation keyword allows
   describing complex relationships beyond just the parent-child
   hierarchy.  These relationships can include:

   *  Physical relations (e.g., "inside", "next to")

   *  Functional relations (e.g., "controls", "is controlled by")

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   *  Semantic relations (e.g., "similar to", "same as")

   The sdfRelation definition can include the following fields as
   defined in [I-D.draft-laari-asdf-relations]:

   *  relType: Specifies the type of relationship that can an external
      ontologies (e.g., SAREF[saref4bldg]) can refer to.

   *  target: Points to the SDF object or an external ontology term that
      is the target of the relationship.

   *  description: Provides a detailed textual explanation of the
      relationship.

   *  label: A short human-readable label for the relationship.

   *  property: Additional properties describing the relationship
      context.

   *  $comment: Optional properties including implementers notes.

   An example of sdfRelation is shown in Figure 2.  The sdfProtocolMap
   in this example is defined in [I-D.draft-ietf-asdf-nipc] and
   [I-D.draft-ietf-asdf-protocol-mapping]

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   {
      "sdfThing": {
         "Room001": {
             "description": "Contains lightbult and thermostat"
              "sdfObject": {
                  "lightbulb": {
                    "description": "A smart lightbulb",
                    "sdfProperty": {
                        "adjacent-node": { "type": "object", "sdfType": "link"}
                     },
                     "sdfRelation": {
                        "sameRoomAsThermostat": {
                           "relType": "saref:isLocatedIn",
                           "target": "#/sdfObject/thermostat",
                           "description": "This lightbulb is located in the same room as the thermostat.",
                           "label": "Located together"
                        }
                     }
                },
                "thermostat": {
                  "description": "A thermostat is in the same room as the lightbulb",
                  "sdfProperty": {
                     "adjacent-node": {"type": "object","sdfType": "link"}
                   }
                 },
                 "sdfProtocolMap": {
                   "description": "Protocol between the lightbulb and thermostat",
                   "ble": {
                     "services":
                         [{"serviceID": "361c9c4f-22d7-4a1e-824b-8b61045a566a"}],
                     "cached": false,
                     "cacheIdlePurge": 3600,
                     "unit": "Second",
                     "autoUpdate": true,
                     "bonding": "default"
                 }
               }
            }
        }
     }
   }

                    Figure 2: An example of sdfRelation

5.  Examples of digital twin system

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5.1.  Overview

   Domain-specific examples are provided to illustrates how SDF-based
   Digital Twin representations can be modeled across various
   application areas.  Each example is structured using the sdfThing
   construct to represent the physical entity, with associated
   sdfObject, sdfProperty, sdfAction, sdfEvent, and optional sdfContext
   or sdfRelation entries.  These examples cover multiple domains such
   as maritime, smart building, healthcare, and energy systems, enabling
   standardized modeling and interoperability across diverse use cases.

5.2.  Marine system

   Table 2 illustrates how various components of a maritime
   vessel—specifically Boat007—can be represented as a structured
   Digital Twin using the Semantic Definition Format (SDF) model.  Each
   physical component, such as a heater or battery, is abstracted as an
   sdfObject, while the overall vessel is modeled as an sdfThing.

   For each component, key SDF elements such as sdfProperty, sdfAction,
   or sdfEvent are defined to describe the operational and contextual
   aspects of the system.  Relationships such as sdfRelation are used to
   express functional connections (e.g., the battery is connectedTo the
   controller), enabling richer modeling of interactions between
   components.

   This structure allows developers and systems integrators to:

   *  Seamlessly capture and communicate device capabilities and states.

   *  Integrate operational data for real-time monitoring and analysis.

   *  Enable interoperability with other domains through standardized
      semantics.

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   +=======================+=============+============================+
   | Attribute             | SDF element | Example properties         |
   +=======================+=============+============================+
   | Boat007               | sdfThing    | id, name, model, includes  |
   |                       |             | heater1 and battery1       |
   +-----------------------+-------------+----------------------------+
   | Heater1               | sdfObject   | status (sdfProperty),      |
   |                       |             | temperature (sdfProperty), |
   |                       |             | turnOn (sdfAction)         |
   +-----------------------+-------------+----------------------------+
   | Thermostat1           | sdfObject   | setPoint, mode             |
   |                       |             | (sdfProperty)              |
   +-----------------------+-------------+----------------------------+
   | Battery1              | sdfObject   | voltage (sdfProperty),     |
   |                       |             | chargeLevel (sdfProperty), |
   |                       |             | battery-to-controller      |
   |                       |             | (sdfRelation)              |
   +-----------------------+-------------+----------------------------+
   | Controller            | sdfObject   | status (sdfProperty),      |
   |                       |             | controlMode (sdfProperty)  |
   +-----------------------+-------------+----------------------------+
   | Temp-to-Thermostat    | sdfRelation | source:                    |
   |                       |             | heater1.temperature,       |
   |                       |             | target:                    |
   |                       |             | thermostat1.setPoint,      |
   |                       |             | relationType: regulatedBy  |
   +-----------------------+-------------+----------------------------+
   | Battery-to-Controller | sdfRelation | source: batterySensor,     |
   |                       |             | target: powerController,   |
   |                       |             | relationType: connectedTo  |
   +-----------------------+-------------+----------------------------+
   | Location              | sdfContext  | latitude, longitude,       |
   |                       |             | dockedAt (e.g., port007)   |
   +-----------------------+-------------+----------------------------+

         Table 2: Components and SDF elements of a marine system

   In the context of Boat007, shown in Figure 3, such a Digital Twin can
   support various applications, including predictive maintenance,
   energy optimization, and fleet-level coordination, demonstrating the
   practicality and scalability of SDF-based Digital Twin modeling for
   mobility and transportation systems.

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   {
     "sdfThing": {
         "boat007": {
         "label": "Boat #007 with a heater",
         "description": "Contains heaters, fans, battery, etc."
         "sdfProperty": {
            "status": {
               "type": "boolean",
               "description": "Indicates if the boat is powered"
             }
         },
         "sdfObject": {
            "heater1": {
             "description": "A heater ",
             "identityManifest": {
                "manufacturer": "HeaterTech Inc.",
                 "model": "HEATER-2025-V1",
                 "firmwareVersion": "1.4.3",
                 "dateOfManufacture": "2025-04-20T09:00:00Z",
                 "certifications": [
                   { "scheme": "KS", "certId": "KS123", "region": "KR" } ]
               },
               "contextSnapshot": {
                 "thingId": "heater:unit5689",
                 "timestamp": "2025-05-23T10:20:00Z",
                 "installationInfo": {
                    "room": "kitchen",
                     "floor": 1,
                     "mountType": "freestanding",
                     "installationDate": "2025-06-01"
                 },
                 "usageProfile": {
                     "type": "residential",
                     "powerCircuit": "230V@60Hz",
                     "energyRating": "A++"
                 },
                 "location": {"lat": 35.1796, "lon": 129.0756 }
               },
               "sdfProperty": {
                   "status": {
                     "type": "boolean"
                     "description":"Whether the heater is powered"
                   },
                   "temperature": {
                      "type": "number",
                      "unit": "degreeCelsius",
                      "description": "Temperature of the heater"
                     }

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               },
               "sdfAction": {
                   "turnOn": { "description": "Activate the heater" },
                   "turnOff": { "description": "Deactivate the heater" }
               },
               "contextPatch": {
                   "thingId": "heater:unit5689",
                   "timestamp": "2025-06-20T09:00:00Z",
                   "location": {"lat": "35.2988", "lon": "129.2547" },
                   "installationInfo": {"floor": 1, "mountType": "wall" }
               }
             },
             "thermostat": {
                  "maintenanceSchedule": {
                     "timestamp": "2025-05-20T10:00:00Z"
                     "description": "Last maintained date"
                 }
             },
             "batterySensor1": {
               "sdfProperty": {
                   "chargeLevel": {
                     "type": "number",
                     "unit": "percent",
                     "description": "Battery charge level"
                   },
                   "voltage": {
                     "type": "number",
                     "unit": "volt",
                     "description": "Battery voltage"
                 }
               }
             },
             "powerController1": {
                "sdfAction": {
                   "connect": {"description": "Connect power from the battery" },
                   "disconnect": {"description": "Disconn power from the battery"}
                   }
               }
           },
           "sdfRelation": {
             "temperature-control": {
                "source": "#/sdfObject/heater1/sdfProperty/temperature",
                "target": "#/sdfObject/thermostat1/sdfProperty/setPoint",
                "relationType": "regulatedBy",
                "directionality": "unidirectional",
                "description": "The current temperature of the heater is regulated by the thermostat's setPoint value."
             },
             "battery-to-controller": {

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                "source": "#/sdfObject/batterySensor",
                "target": "#/sdfObject/powerController",
                "relationType": "connectedTo",
                "directionality": "unidirectional"
            }
         }
       }
     }
   }

                   Figure 3: An example of marine system

5.3.  Healthcare system

   This example represents a digital twin for a patient health monitor
   system (patientMonitor001) assigned to a patient.  The system reports
   real-time health properties while referencing contextual patient
   information with the components and elements shown in Table 3.

       +===========+==================+============================+
       | Attribute | SDF element      | Example properties         |
       +===========+==================+============================+
       | Patient   | sdfThing         | patientMonitor001 as a     |
       | Monitor   |                  | digital twin               |
       +-----------+------------------+----------------------------+
       | ECG       | sdfObject        | heartRate, rhythmType,     |
       | Module    |                  | signalStrength             |
       +-----------+------------------+----------------------------+
       | Infusion  | sdfObject        | flowRate, volumeRemaining, |
       | Pump      |                  | alarmStatus                |
       +-----------+------------------+----------------------------+
       | Property  | sdfProperty      | e.g., temperature,         |
       |           |                  | bloodPressureSystolic,     |
       |           |                  | oxygenSaturation           |
       +-----------+------------------+----------------------------+
       | Context   | sdfContext       | bedNumber, wardLocation,   |
       | Info      |                  | patientID, usageScenario   |
       +-----------+------------------+----------------------------+
       | Identity  | identityManifest | systemType,                |
       | Info      |                  | firmwareVersion,           |
       |           |                  | hospitalAssetTag           |
       +-----------+------------------+----------------------------+
       | Relations | sdfRelation      | ECG → AlarmSystem          |
       |           |                  | (relationType:             |
       |           |                  | monitoredBy)               |
       +-----------+------------------+----------------------------+

        Table 3: Components and SDF elements of a healthcare system

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   A digital twin example of a patient monitoring system with ECG and
   infusion pump components is illustated in Figure 4.  in the
   healthcare domain, where a biosensor measuring the heart rate is
   functionally connected to an alert system that emits a high heart
   rate warning.  This enables real-time patient monitoring in medical
   environments.

   {
     "sdfThing": {
       "patientMonitor001": {
       "sdfObject": {
           "ecg": {
               "sdfProperty": {
                   "heartRate": { "type": "number", "unit": "bpm" },
                   "rhythmType": { "type": "string" }
                 }
             },
             "infusionPump": {
                 "sdfProperty": {
                   "flowRate": { "type": "number", "unit": "ml/h" },
                   "volumeRemaining": { "type": "number", "unit": "ml" }
                 }
             }
           },
           "sdfContext": {
               "wardLocation": { "const": "ICU-5A" },
               "patientID": { "const": "PT123456" }
           },
           "identityManifest": {
             "manufacturer": "MediTech",
             "model": "IM-500",
             "serialNumber": "MT-IM500-00789"
           },
           "sdfRelation": {
             "heartRate-to-alertSystem": {
                 "description": "The heart rate data from the biosensor is monitored by the alert system, which triggers a warning event when a high heart rate is detected.",
                 "source": "#/sdfObject/biosensor/sdfProperty/heartRate",
                 "target": "#/sdfObject/alertSystem/sdfEvent/highHeartRateAlert",
                 "relationType": "monitoredBy",
                 "directionality": "unidirectional"
             }
         }
       }
     }
   }

                     Figure 4: An example of healthcare

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6.  Requirements for implenmenting digital twin

   A digital twin is a partial representation of sdfThing or sdfObject
   that contains attributes such as sdfProperty, sdfAction and
   sdfEvent[ISO23247-1].  By representing sdfThing as a digital twin,
   crucial events that require appropriate action can be quickly
   detected and controlled.  The requirements defined in [ISO23247-1]
   are applied to represent sdfThings and sdfObjects as digital twins.

   *  Identification: sdfThings and sdfObjects should contain data that
      uniquely identify them as digital twins.

   *  Data acquisition: data related to sdfThing and sdfObject, such as
      sdfProperty, sdfEvent, and sdfAction, should be collected from IP
      and non-IP systems.

   *  Data analysis: collected data needs to be analyzed to understand
      the state of sdfThing and sdfObject.

   *  Accuracy: The sdfThings and sdfObjects should be represented as
      digital twins with appropriate levels of detail and accuracy,
      depending on the application.

   *  Synchronization: sdfThings and sdfObjects should be synchronized
      with the digital twin at intervals appropriate to the requirements
      of each application.  Newly added or deleted sdfThings and
      sdfObjects should be recognized and reflected in the digital twin.

7.  Procedure for digital twin implementation

7.1.  Overview

   It is essential to define a standardized implementation procedure to
   ensure interoperability, scalability, and effective lifecycle
   management across digital twin systems.  This section outlines a
   step-by-step approach aligned with the Semantic Definition Format
   (SDF) model and its architecture, enabling consistent modeling,
   integration, and operation of digital twins in IoT environments.  A
   general principles for representing an sdfThing as a digital twin
   within a specific domain is outlined as follows:

   *  defining a purpose for expressing the observable object as a
      digital twin in the domain

   *  collecting and mapping data based on the roles of the observable
      object in the domain

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   *  configuring the observable object into the digital twin based on
      the data for the purposes

   *  interworking among digital twins reflecting various roles of the
      observable object

   *  synchronizing the observable object and the digital twin

7.2.  Procedure

   The procedure of digitally twinning the space and the objects
   contained in it is described.

   *  Identifying and scoping physical assets: The first step is to
      clearly identify the physical assets that will be represented as
      digital twins.  This step includes assigning a globally unique
      identifier, such as a URN or UUID, and determining the extent of
      modeling.  It also involves deciding whether the unique identifier
      will cover the entire system or focus on a specific subsystem or
      component.  Although all assets in space can be represented by
      digital twins, it is cost-effective to select assets for
      implementation purposes and configure them as digital twins.

   *  Defining a digital twin: A detailed digital twin should be defined
      using SDF structures, including sdfThing and sdfObject.  This step
      requires specifying affordances such as sdfProperty, sdfAction,
      and sdfEvent, as well as non-affordance metadata like location,
      owner, and other descriptive elements through sdfContext.

   *  Metadata and contextualization: This step adds metadata that
      enriches the context of the digital twin, such as geographic
      location, ownership details, manufacturing information, and
      feature summaries.  It can also support advanced analytics and
      management, including contextual attributes such as production
      schedules or maintenance periods.

   *  Binding interfaces and communications: Digital twins are bound to
      real-world communication interfaces and protocols such as MQTT,
      CoAP, and HTTP.  This allows affordance of SDF models to interact
      with real-world data sources, APIs, and physical assets in a
      smooth and reliable manner.

   *  Verification and compliance: Once an asset is defined and bound as
      a digital twin, it should be validated against syntax and semantic
      rules using tools such as JSON schema validators or CDDL
      definitions.  Compliance with specific SDF profiles or domain-
      specific standards must also be verified to ensure
      interoperability.

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   *  Deployment and registration: After verification, the digital twins
      are deployed in a digital twin registry, edge system, or cloud
      infrastructure.  This step involves registering the model with the
      discovery service for integration and use by other systems or
      stakeholders.

   *  Runtime monitoring and updating: During operations, digital twins
      need to continuously monitor real data and update their status
      accordingly.  Properties updates, event processing, and partial
      updates using contextPatch messages should be supported for
      efficient and lightweight synchronization.

   *  Lifecycle and governance management: The life cycle of the digital
      twin is managed through version tracking, audit logs, and
      compliance documents.  This step ensures safe and transparent
      governance and enables proper disposal and deregistration when
      assets are no longer available.

8.  Security Considerations

   Only authorized users should have the authority to manage digital
   twins, sdfThings and sdfObjects.  Also, Secure communication and
   metadata integrity are essential when implementing digital twins.
   All context messages, including contextPatch and identityManifest,
   must have mechanisms such as authentication and authorization
   applied.

9.  IANA Considerations

   This document has no IANA actions.

10.  References

10.1.  Normative References

   [I-D.draft-ietf-asdf-nipc]
              Brinckman, B., Mohan, R., and B. Sanford, "An Application
              Layer Interface for Non-IP device control (NIPC)", Work in
              Progress, Internet-Draft, I-D.draft-ietf-asdf-nipc-13, 20
              September 2025, <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/I-
              D.draft-ietf-asdf-nipc-13>.

   [I-D.draft-ietf-asdf-protocol-mapping]
              Mohan, R., Brinckman, B., and L. Corneo, "Protocol Mapping
              for SDF", Work in Progress, Internet-Draft, I-D.draft-
              ietf-asdf-protocol-mapping-01, 16 October 2025,
              <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/I-D.draft-ietf-
              asdf-protocol-mapping-01>.

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   [I-D.draft-ietf-asdf-sdf-nonaffordance]
              Hong, J. and H. Lee, "Semantic Definition Format (SDF)
              Extension for Non-Affordance Information", Work in
              Progress, Internet-Draft, I-D.draft-ietf-asdf-sdf-
              nonaffordance-01, 21 September 2025,
              <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/I-D.draft-ietf-
              asdf-sdf-nonaffordance-01>.

   [I-D.draft-laari-asdf-relations]
              Laari, P., "Extended relation information for Semantic
              Definition Format (SDF)", Work in Progress, Internet-
              Draft, I-D.draft-laari-asdf-relations-04, 28 January 2025,
              <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/I-D.draft-laari-
              asdf-relations-04>.

   [I-D.ietf-asdf-sdf]
              Koster, M., Bormann, C., and A. Keränen, "Semantic
              Definition Format (SDF) for Data and Interactions of
              Things", Work in Progress, Internet-Draft, draft-ietf-
              asdf-sdf-25, 13 October 2025,
              <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-ietf-asdf-
              sdf-25>.

   [ISO23247-1]
              "Automation systems and integration Digital twin framework
              for manufacturing - Part 1: Overview and general
              principles, ISO 23247-1.", October 2021,
              <https://www.iso.org/standard/75066.html>.

   [ISO23247-3]
              "Automation systems and integration Digital twin framework
              for manufacturing - Part 3: Digital representation of
              manufacturing elements, ISO 23247-3.", October 2021,
              <https://www.iso.org/standard/78744.html>.

   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
              Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2119>.

   [RFC8174]  Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
              2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174,
              May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8174>.

   [Y.4600]   Union, I. T., ""Recommendation ITU-T Y.4600 (2022),
              Requirements and capabilities of a digital twin system for
              smart cities.", August 2022.

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10.2.  Informative References

   [saref4bldg]
              Poveda-Villaln, M. and R. Garcia-Castro, "SAREF extension
              for building", 5 June 2020,
              <https://saref.etsi.org/saref4bldg>.

Acknowledgements

   This specification is based on work by the One Data Model group.

Contributors

   Joo-Sang Youn
   DONG-EUI University
   176 Eomgwangno Busan_jin_gu
   Busan
   47340
   South Korea
   Phone: +82 51 890 1993
   Email: joosang.youn@gmail.com

   Yong-Geun Hong
   Daejeon University
   62 Daehak-ro, Dong-gu
   Daejeon
   34520
   South Korea
   Phone: +82 42 280 4841
   Email: yonggeun.hong@gmail.com

Authors' Addresses

   Hyunjeong Lee (editor)
   Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
   218 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu
   Daejeon
   34129
   South Korea
   Phone: +82 42 860 1213
   Email: hjlee294@etri.re.kr

   Jungha Hong
   Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
   218 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu

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   Daejeon
   34129
   South Korea
   Phone: +82 42 860 0926
   Email: jhong@etri.re.kr

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