Version History

PILIN Project Policy

Handle Suffix Format Policy for the PILIN Project

To cite the latest version of this work use http://resolver.net.au/hdl/102.100.272/Y35XYS0QH

To cite this version of this work, use http://resolver.net.au/hdl/102.100.272/Y35XYS0QH

1 Purpose/Issue

This policy specifies a Handle suffix format for use by the PILIN Project.

2 Background

The PILIN project will use a Handle suffix scheme that is:

1. Semantically opaque. That is, no meaning is deliberately encoded into the suffixes. The scheme will also avoid accidentally creating potentially meaningful suffixes where possible.

2. Easily citable and succinct. That is, the scheme will be short enough to allow transcription by hand and oral dictation.

3. Large enough to identify at least 10⁹ different things.

4. Fast to generate. The scheme must be able to generate a new suffix per millisecond.

3 Scope

This policy is for use by PILIN team members.

The policy applies to all handles created under the 102.100.272 (prefix naming authority) allocated to PILIN use.

4 Policy Statement

The PILIN Project shall use for all its Handle suffixes a 9-character alphanumerically encoded timestamp-based scheme, generated as follows:

• Count the number of milliseconds that have elapsed between the UUID Epoch time (UTC 00:00:00.00, 15 October 1582) and the time when the suffix has been requested.

• Convert this number to a base-31 number, using the following conventions:

  • The first 10 digits shall be 0 through 9.

  • The 11^th through 13^th digits shall be B though D (A is skipped).

  • The 14^th through 16^th digits shall be F through H (E is skipped).

  • The 17^th through 21^nd digits shall be J through N (I is skipped).

  • The 22^nd through 26^th digits shall be P through S (O is skipped).

  • The 27^th through 31^st digits shall be T through Z (U is skipped).

  • The resulting alphanumeric string is reversed.

The PILIN project will use a suffix generator available on the internal project website to generate suffixes according to this algorithm.

5 Example

An example suffix generated using this policy is: Y35XYS0QH

6 Appendix

The PILIN timestamp identifier is based on the UUID Version 1 identifier; see Leach, P., Mealling, M. & Salz, R. 2005, A Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) URN Namespace, RFC 4122, http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4122.txt

Copyright © Monash University

This work was created as part of the PILIN project. The PILIN project is funded by the Australian Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training, (DEST) under the Systemic Infrastructure Initiative (SII) as part of the Commonwealth Government’s Backing Australia’s Ability – An Innovation Action Plan for the Future (BAA) under the ARROW Project.