Constraint

Definition

A Constraint is a governed condition that restricts or requires specific characteristics, states, or behaviors. Constraints may apply to individual Objects, Relationships, Workflows, Contracts, Policies, or other managed elements. A Constraint defines *what must remain true* rather than *how it is enforced*.

Purpose

This document defines Constraint within the OCOM Specification.

A Constraint establishes conditions or limitations that govern the structure, behavior, or interactions of Objects.

Constraints ensure consistency, integrity, and compliance throughout the OCOM ecosystem.

Business meaning

Constraints protect operational integrity by ensuring that organizational rules and business requirements are consistently respected.

They reduce ambiguity, prevent invalid operations, and improve interoperability across organizational systems.

Design principles

Every Constraint shall:

• define explicit conditions
• be verifiable
• support governance
• preserve consistency
• support traceability
• remain technology independent

Core characteristics

• Identifier
• Name
• Purpose
• Scope
• Description
• Severity
• Effective Period
• Exception Policy
• Related Policies
• Evaluation Criteria

Relationship to other specifications

Constraint interacts with:

• ocom:Object
• ocom:Policy
• ocom:Contract
• ocom:Workflow
• ocom:Lifecycle
• ocom:Capability
• ocom:Evaluation
• ocom:Governance

Constraints define operational limitations without prescribing implementation.

Independence — does not prescribe

• validation engines
• rule languages
• workflow systems
• implementation technologies

Conformance

A compliant implementation shall ensure that every managed Constraint:

• define Constraints explicitly
• support evaluation
• preserve governance
• maintain auditability
• remain technology independent

Provenance

Governance records: —

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