How to connect to the ERDERA VP?
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Resources can connect to the VP at different levels. Depending on the level of connection chosen, the VP enables rare disease resources to have their metadata and/or data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR). Regardless of the level of connection, resources retain full control of their metadata/data by specifying who can access their resources and under which conditions. 

It is important to note that a resource can start at one level and later choose to upgrade or downgrade to a higher or lower level, respectively, depending on how it wishes to contribute functionally to the rare disease community.

The various levels are illustrated and described by Figure 1 and Table 1. Figure 1 illustrates the different levels to which a resource can connect to the VP. Table 1 provides a summary of the different connection levels to the VP, including a definition of each level, the technical requirements for onboarding, options of access conditions, and an example query that each connection level permits.

..  figure:: _images/f1.png
    :alt:  Illustration of the different levels and their interaction with the Virtual Platform.
    :width: 100%

    Figure 1 - Illustration of the different levels and their interaction with the Virtual Platform.