Re: Unique handle generation

[Patrik Fältström <paf@cisco.com>]

At 21.14 -0500 01-03-13, George Belotsky wrote:
>Scott:
>
>Here is an overview of the algorithm I had in mind, so that
>it is easier to understand the changes that I am suggesting.
>
>
>    (1) A human-readable object handle is created.  This
>        is done UUID-style, by concatenating several
>        atomic units.  The creating repository may be
>        one of these, but it does not have to be.
>        The end result is something like this.
>
>        Scott+Hollenbeck+verisign.com+scottshomepage.com+Mar.13.2001
>
>   
>    (2) A digest function is applied to the human-readable handle.
>        The system stores the resulting  digest, and not the readable
>        form itself.
>
>    (3) The readable form is returned to the user.  Now, there are
>        two equivalent representations: the digest (which is used
>        by default), and the readable form (which can be used
>        by the 'owner', or anyone else that the 'owner' gives it to).
>        This is the essence of [5] and [6] as I suggested; not
>        contradictory, but complimentary.

I think you make life much too complicated.

It is much easier if you use an algorithm which

(a) Divides the world in a number of registries. One can be a RIR, 
another a TLD.
(b) All registries get a unique identifier, and that is registered somewhere.
(c) Each registry is responsible for assigning a unique local 
identifier for each object.
(d) The globally unique identifier is a concatenation of the two.
(e) One might be able to create a URN scheme for this space of identifiers

This is what happens today (part from at VGRS and ARIN), and it 
works. You don't have to come up with some rules for how a registry 
works, and creates the identifier. That is up to them.

A registry might go away, but if that happens, I claim that all 
records are moved together to a different organization, but the 
registry stay atomic.

A registry might be split (something which will happen soon I think) 
and this is the tricky part. One record might stay, and another might 
be moved. This can be achieved by deleting records which are moved, 
and creation of new ones in the new registry.

Note that splitting a registry is a very rare operation, and I am 
prepared getting some trouble when that one-time-operation happens.

     paf