FOCUS Knowledge Base

A semantic knowledge base for the FOCUS specification, built to make the standard easier to learn, navigate, and apply in practice. It now lives publicly on GitHub Pages, with the source maintained in GitHub.

What It Is

The official FOCUS resources are authoritative, but they are spread across specifications, working drafts, provider guidance, GitHub repositories, release notes, and community materials. I built this knowledge base as a navigable semantic layer over that ecosystem: one index, cross-linked concepts, curated references, and guided paths for practitioners who need a usable mental model rather than raw source material.

Live Visual Preview

A live preview of the public GitHub Pages site. This turns the knowledge base into a browsable reference asset rather than just a repo or notes export.

24 concept notes Focused coverage of schema, governance, tooling, release changes, and billing-model topics.

1 contribution guide A practitioner path for getting involved in the spec and understanding how work moves.

4 reference docs Glossary, key figures, sources, and timeline for grounding the system in source material.

Cross-linked index Structured for semantic navigation instead of linear reading.

Why It Matters

Speeds up onboarding for practitioners who need to understand FOCUS quickly.
Connects schema concepts, provider support, tooling, and governance in one working model.
Supports teaching, contribution work, and standards discussions with a clearer vocabulary.
Acts as a foundation for the semantic-layer thinking behind my FinOps X 2026 talk.

What It Covers

🧮

Specification Fundamentals

Overview, design principles, governance, charter, version history, and release changes from v0.5 through v1.3.

📊

Data Model

Dimensions, metrics, cost columns, pricing quantities, commitment discounts, charge categories, and tagging patterns.

🛠

Tooling and Ecosystem

Converter, validator, requirements model, analyzer, sandbox data, and the repository landscape around the spec.

🔗

Adoption and Practice

Cloud-provider support, vendor adoption, the FinOps framework relationship, and how to contribute effectively.

How It Is Structured

`index.md` — the canonical entry point and guided navigation layer.
`concepts/` — deep topic notes covering schema, tooling, governance, and adoption.
`guides/` — contribution-oriented workflow material.
`references/` — glossary, timeline, key figures, and source tracking.
`_meta/` — backlinks and statistics to keep the system navigable and measurable.

Where It Lives

Public site: bnelford.github.io/focus-spec-kb
Source repository: github.com/bnelford/focus-spec-kb
Publishing model: maintained in GitHub and published as a browsable GitHub Pages knowledge base.

Why This Is Different

It is not just a notes vault. It is a curated semantic reference system.
It treats FOCUS as a living standard with relationships, dependencies, and evolution over time.
It is designed for practical use: learning, teaching, contribution, and implementation support.
It turns fragmented official material into a coherent operating model.

Current Questions Driving The Work

How should FOCUS evolve for AI billing models like tokens, GPU-hours, and inference units?
What is the best path from community specification to broader standardization?
How should SaaS, licensing, and ITAM-adjacent billing fit more cleanly into the model?
What does a true semantic layer for FOCUS look like in practice?

Related Work

This knowledge base is part of a broader thread in my work: FOCUS contribution, FinOps teaching, and semantic-layer thinking for standards adoption. If you want to see the public-facing talk path, start with my speaking page and FinOps X material.