# URNs as basic element of Internet data structures

Fred Swartz (fred.swartz@umich.edu)
Wed, 20 Oct 1993 15:02:28 -0400

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    Message-Id: <9310201902.AA21416@merit.edu>

    To: uri@bunyip.com

    From: "Fred Swartz" <fred.swartz@umich.edu>

    Subject: URNs as basic element of Internet data structures

    Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1993 15:02:28 -0400

I'm surprised that most URN discussion has concentrated on a few
(albeit important and useful) uses of the URNs. I see URNs as having a
much wider and more general use than, eg, citations. I envision URNs
as a basic building block for Internet data structures (structures
which cross the Internet).

Just as the URL is the net analog of the programing pointer, so the
URN is the analog of the pointer to a pointer. Pointers to pointers
are extremely useful when data structure elements (eg, files on the
net) are subject to relocation. Or, perhaps instead of the programming
analogy, the analogy with file system symbolic links appeals to you
more. In either case, this is exactly the problem the URN solves
across the net so well (and more!), and what I see as a central future
use of URNs.

But to make URNs really work well for this, they must be quick to
create, alter, access, destroy, etc. This argues for being able
to run a URN server on each machine (eg, with the FQDN as the authority).

Of course there is a need for URN citations with a high peristence,
but this should be acomplished by issuing authorities who will make that
committment, and not as an essential element of the URN proposal.

-- Fred (fred.swartz@merit.edu)

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