What is a Client?
A Client is the self-hosted node a data holder operates within the Federated Learning Net network.
It's where local data is prepared, governed, and made available for discovery or analysis — according to rules you define. In short: the Client lets an institution join the network without giving up control over its own data.
This documentation may use the term "FL-Net Client" or simply "Client" because it applies to any network built on the FL-Net software stack. When you join Federated Learning Net specifically, your Client is a Federated Learning Net Client.
What a client is responsible for
A client typically handles four things:
- Hosting local metadata and data access logic
- Running connectors to import and normalize data
- Publishing enough information for network discovery
- Enforcing what external users and workflows are allowed to do
The client is not just a passive storage endpoint. It is the governance boundary between your local environment and the rest of the network.
What you can do with a client
With a client deployment, you can:
- describe your local schema using a shared data standard
- import datasets through connectors
- keep your site visible to the network for discovery
- participate in federated analysis when it is allowed
- manage users and permissions locally
When you need a client
You should deploy a client if:
- your organization owns data that should stay under local control
- you want to participate in the Federated Learning Net network as a data holder
- you need to define institution-specific access rules
- you want your data to remain discoverable over time
If you only need to use already available data and tools, start with Platform usage instead.
Recommended next steps
As the IT adiminstrator of the Client:
As the data administrator adding and managing data:
As the data access manager handling access and permissions: