Registration Backlog

1
Uniform Resource Names Deploying A New Namespace
Michael Mealling 19 August 1999
2
Overview of URNs

• Meant to be persistent identifiers. Binding to
  resource is permanent.
• Simple identification is useful (XML namespace
  identification)
• A resolution system is available if needed.
• Allows for variety in the syntax of the
  namespace.
• Examples
• URNISBN0-07-882396-X
• URNPDI//oma.eop.gov.us/1999/8/5/14.text.2

3
Deployment Issues

• Problem identification
• Experimentation
• Development
• Adoption
• Scaling
• Management

4
Problem Identification

• We know the general class of problems. Now we
  need to look at specific ones and apply the
  proposed solution.
• Bibliographic identifies (ISBN, ISSN, DOI)
• Schema identification (XML Namespaces)
• Document Management (PDI, IETF)
• Distributed object systems (Globe)

5
Experimentation

• Once the problems are identified internal use and
  experimentation begins.
• Hidden deployment issues appear. (I.e., the u
  flag issue)
• Reusable code begins to appear.
• Corporate resource begin to be committed.
• We are nearing the end of this phase. Several
  experiments are ready for prime time

6
Development

• Developers begin work on solutions to the
  problems. Issues to be aware of
• Interoperability
• Adherence to the standard. If a large enough
  segment of the user base does something
  incorrectly, that incorrect behavior becomes a de
  facto standard.
• Open source software provides a common reference
  implementation.

7
Adoption

• Moving URNs into the main stream
• Must be a compelling reason for either the user
  or the service provider?
• For the user it must be either sexy or
  extremely useful (or at least a functional
  requirement of something that is).
• For the service provider it must be essential for
  some product that is sellable.
• Chicken and egg problem (No one uses it because
  the software doesnt support it. The software
  doesnt support it because no one uses it.)
• Killer app?

8
Scaling

• Scaling of assignment
• The IANA is currently the NID authority. Will
  this scale?
• Scaling of resolution
• Is a DNS based RDS capable of scaling well
  enough?
• Scaling of actual resolution servers
• Is THTTP to simple?
• Are other protocols or protocol profiles needed?

9
Management

• To early to tell. If we knew what they would be
  we could fix them now.
• Some possibilities
• Namespace specific knowledge allows for special
  casing certain URNs which affects
  interoperability
• What happens if we a namespace becomes so popular
  that it takes over the URN space? (I.e. the
  .com phenomenon happens to URNs)

10
Current Status

• URN Working Group waiting on final documents
  which are in Last Call.
• Namespace registration procedures are being setup
  now. At least 4 namespaces are in the process of
  registering.
• Software is being released for browsers Real Soon
  Now .