# Re: HTTP URL to support multiple naming services

Keith Ball (kball@kballuw.SJF.Novell.COM)
Tue, 31 Jan 1995 14:24:04 pst

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    Message-Id: <9501312224.AA07825@ka.SJF.Novell.COM>

    To: terry@ora.com

    From: kball@kballuw.SJF.Novell.COM (Keith Ball)

    Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 14:24:04 pst

    Subject: Re: HTTP URL to support multiple naming services

I think a URN could solve this problem. A new URL could be created
for each transport/name service combination, or as Larry suggested
before a new URL that allows multiple names in the URL. Then the
URC for the URN contains all the different URLs to access the
documents. Unfortunately, existing clients cant handle URNs and a URN
system doesnt exist yet. The proposal is constrained enough that it
will work with existing clients and gateways. (Is constrained the
right word?)

However, a URL describes a single location for a document. This
URL also describes a single location for the document, it just gives
alternate representations of the server name. What if the server
can be accessed via multiple transports or known via multiple names
in different naming systems. Here you have multiple avenues to the
same host and the exact same document.

What I dont want to see is a document reference (anchor) saying:

"click here if you can access this document from NetWare"
OR
"click here if you can access this document via the Internet"

making the person make a choice of access methods, when they are
basically the same, HTTP (one over IP and the other over IPX). Let
the client chose, it knows how it is configured and what is available.

Keith

> From Terry Allen <terry@ora.com> on Tue, 31 Jan 1995
>
> I'll read this over again, but at first blush it seems like
> a URN rather than a URL. Would you indicate how this would
> differ from a URN? (Not challenging you, just inquiring.)
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