[DDI-SRG] Proposal for DDI URN resolution and new format of DDI URN's

[Joachim Wackerow]

Wendy,

Thanks for converting the format.

Only the maintainable objects seem to be important for URN resolution 
purposes. See the assumptions in the introduction. So I focused just on 
these.

urn:ddi_3_1:DataCollection.Methodology=icpsr.us.ddi:DataCol_1(2_0).METH_2(1_1)

would be

urn:ddi:icpsr.us.ddi:3_1:DataCollection.DataCol_1.2_0.Methodology.METH_2.1_1

The structure of a full id of an object (maintainable object or the 
object itself) would be:
name-of-object.id-of-object.object-version-number

When no version number exists an empty string between two dots 
represents this (not necessary at the right end).

Each part of the URN can be understood as positional parameter in a 
strict hierarchy. It can be further discussed which separator characters 
would be optimal. A colon is anyway a separator in URN's. A dot is the 
hierarchical separator in DNS.

The URN of the maintainable would be then:
urn:ddi:icpsr.us.ddi:3_1:DataCollection.DataCol_1.2_0

The same as DNS name:
2_0.DataCol_1.DataCollection.3_1.icpsr.us.ddi.urn.arpa

The resolver (client) gets a URL or another URN as response, which 
identifies the DDI instance, where the maintainable object is contained. 
When the response is an URN, the resolver asks again the DNS for this 
URN and will get a URL, which identifies the DDI instance.

Hope this clarifies, Achim

Wendy Thomas wrote:
> 
> Achim
> 
> Upon readig this I am unclear regarding the object. Is this a correct 
> interpretation of the rewriting of the following urn (current structure)
> 
> urn:ddi_3_1:DataCollection.Methodology=icpsr.us.ddi: 
> DataCol_1(2_0).METH_2(1_1)
> 
> Would now be:
> 
> urn:ddi:icpsr.us.ddi:3_1:DataCollection.DataCol_1.Methodology.1_1.METH_2
> 
> What about version number of the DataCollection?
> 
> Or do you mean:
> 
> urn:ddi:icpsr.us.ddi:3_1:DataCollection.DataCol_1.METH_2.1_1
> 
> So I don't ever declare what type of object I am referencing just the 
> type of its parent maintainable. Still have the question of the version 
> number of the parent maintainable. I can have two objects in a 
> maintainable with the same ID but different versions can't I?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Mon, 18 May 2009, Joachim Wackerow wrote:
> 
>> Arofan,
>>
>> We talked briefly about this issue at the last conference call. Here 
>> are more details.
>>
>> Achim
>>
>> -- 
>> GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences
>> Postal address: P.O. Box 122155, 68072 Mannheim, Germany
>> Visiting address: B2 1, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
>> Phone: +49 (0)621 1246 262
>> Fax: +49 (0)621 1246 100
>> E-mail: joachim.wackerow at gesis.org
>> www.gesis.org/en/institute/
>>
> 
> Wendy L. Thomas                          Phone: +1 612.624.4389
> Data Access Core Director         Fax:   +1 612.626.8375
> Minnesota Population Center              Email: wlt at pop.umn.edu
> University of Minnesota
> 50 Willey Hall
> 225 19th Avenue South
> Minneapolis, MN 55455


-- 
GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences
Postal address: P.O. Box 122155, 68072 Mannheim, Germany
Visiting address: B2 1, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)621 1246 262
Fax: +49 (0)621 1246 100
E-mail: joachim.wackerow at gesis.org
www.gesis.org/en/institute/