Distributed Registries
- 1. Distributed RegistriesThe ChallengeJon Phipps * Diane HillmannThe NSDL Registry
- 2. The Current EnvironmentRegistry development taking off … in multiple directionsIn order to ensure success for all, registries need to define their users broadly—to include those who don’t yet know they existThey need to be willing to direct users who approach the task of discovery through their portal to some other registry if that’s more appropriate
- 3. The Challenge is …DiscoveryFinding available vocabularies/metadata schemas/APs regardless of starting pointUseDirecting users easily from one registry to anotherReliable m2m interactions between registries to ensure timely and up-to-date informationProviding a base level of services to users, no matter their starting point
- 4. Strawman #1Registries enable automated caching of other registry contentEach registry can then enable searching of available content without the difficulties of federated searchRequires agreements on mapping between vocabulary standards (SKOS, Zthes, etc.)May require “registry of registries” or other mechanism to locate contentMay require agreement on a common search API (SRU, OpenSearch, Z39.50)
- 5. Strawman #1 QuestionsIs this politically feasible, given the wide variety of funding regimes represented? Would “branding” be useful/necessary?Can such a solution accommodate both open and semi-open registries? Differing assumptions about licensing and access?What other registry discovery mechanisms are available?Will registries support discovery based on term/concept label search as well as registry-level descriptive metadata?
- 6. The Politics of Re-UseWhat can we enable using distributed methodologies, and do we want to enable them? Are there IP issues? If so, how are they expressed?Extending existing vocabulariesAdopting existing work (terms or whole vocabularies) and changing the domain or focus in a reused vocabularyWhat about abandoned vocabularies?
- 7. Other Potential Issues How much information can or should be shared? How do we accommodate differences in approach that might affect download/caching/presentation of one vocabulary in another registry?At what point should users be directed from one registry to another, instead of browsing the vocabulary from the starting point registry?What would we need to accomplish to begin trying this out?