# Presentation: 770700

## Beyond Handles: The Digital Object Architecture

- James M. Erwin
- Defense Technical Information Center
- 29 January 2003

- Corporation for National Reserch Initiatives

## 	“The two truly transforming things, conceivably, might be in information technology and information operation and networking and connecting things in ways that they function totally differently than they had previously.  And if that's possible, what I just said, that possibly the single-most transforming thing in our force will not be a weapon system, but a set of interconnections and a substantially enhanced capability because of that awareness.”
			 			Secretary Rumsfeld - Aug 9, 2001

**	****	****	**** ****	****	****	***Secretary Rumsfeld - Aug 9, 2001*

*Defense Transformation*

*Platform-Centric*
*Information Advantage*

*Net-Centric*
*Information Advantage*

**Information**
**Quality**

** ****Content**
** ****Accuracy**
**Completeness**
** ****Timeliness**
** ****Relevance**

** ****Local**

** ****Global**

** ****Regional**

**Net-Centric ****Operations*****The Way Ahead***

- Source: Margaret Myers, Principal Deputy OSD DCIO

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## Net-Centric Operations A Fundamental Shift

- _Platform-Centric_

- _Net-Centric_

- Traditional stove-pipe approach *v.* Fused information available on the Net

*Net-Centric Operations** **A Fundamental Shift*

- Source: Margaret Myers, Principal Deputy OSD DCIO

- Corporation for National Reserch Initiatives

## System-Centric, “Stovepipe” Architecture Problems

- Pre-web, client/server, terminal/mainframe paradigm
- Content is typically application specific and relies on specific *systems and platforms* to provide access, _access_ _control_, and presentation
- Content is often not visible to the web, i.e. “Deep Web” problem
- Content lacks flexibility and extensibility. Difficult to to do  versioning, dynamic creation, appropriate disseminations, and support intra/inter-organizational reuse or value-adding
- Content quickly becomes unauthoritative as it is downloaded and reused
- Outdated
- Insecure
- Architecture lacks coherent
-      preservation strategy

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## What are the Characteristics of a Net-Centric Information Space?

- Content is:
_**Persistent**_
- Visible
- Authoritative
- Extensible
- Reusable
- Interoperable across platforms
- Content supports:
- Dynamic relationships
- Value adding

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## Digital Object Architecture

- Network paradigm
- Content is _not_ application specific and does not rely on specific *systems and platforms* to provide access, _access_ _control_, and presentation
- Content can easily be made visible to the web
- Content is flexible and extensible
- Lends itself to versioning, dynamic creation, appropriate disseminations, and intra/inter-organizational reuse
- Supports the establishment of content relationships
- Is networkable across system/organizational  boundaries
- Content remains authoritative as it is accessed and reused
- Supports coherent preservation strategies

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## Digital Object Architecture Components

- Repositories
-    Contain digital objects
-    Are, themselves, digital objects
-    Repository Access Protocol (RAP)
-    Platform independent

- Handle System
-    Persistent identification
-    Distributed Architecture

- Digital Objects
-    Persistently identified
-    Self contained
-  Self described
-  Self aware
-    Integral access control
-    Extensible

- Resource Discovery
-    Search engines
-    Databases
-    Digital information
-    Digital objects

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## Digital Objects

- Content-centric, instead of, System-centric

- Handle - Hamlet

**Content Type Disseminators**

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## Digital Object Example: Federal Management Regulation

* *

- Handle - FMR

**Content Type Disseminators**

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## Digital Object Chaining

* *

- Handle - German Summary of Hamlet

**Content Type Disseminators**

- Hamlet -
- German Summary

* *

**Content Type Disseminators**

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## Repositories

* *

- RAP

- Client

- RAP

- Client

- RAP

- Also include content
- disseminations

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## Slide 12

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## Digital Object Architecture Business Case  

- Provides useful, _authoritative_, visible, and dynamic access to information
- Encourages the innovative, value-added, dynamic and, therefore, _effective use_ of digital information
- Provides global _visibility/coordination_ over information
- _Controls_ access to information
- _Reuses_ generated content, techniques, and disseminations
- _Preserves_ information functionality
- Discourages generation of multiple, and potentially different, versions of information
- Provides _interoperability_ and platform independence
- Provides greater security
- Supports real-time access control changes
- Supports partial dissemination

- Corporation for National Reserch Initiatives

## What’s Been Done

- Handles:
- Established Handles infrastructure - CNRI
- Established DOIs,  registry agencies, and transfer mechanisms for the commercial publishing industry -- CNRI and DOI Foundation
- Implemented the DOD Handles Service and Handles Registry for DTIC held unclassified/unlimited technical reports -- DTIC
- Digital Object Architecture:
- Implemented a prototype Digital Object Repository, i.e. Defense Virtual Library, for technical reports, photographs, sound files, and moving images -- DTIC and CNRI
- Successfully tested repository interoperability -- CNRI and Cornell University

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## Real Capability

- Handles:
- Handles reference from STINET
- 		_[http://stinet.dtic.mil/str/index.html](http://stinet.dtic.mil/str/index.html)_
- Handles reference from Naval Postgraduate School    	      		_[http://library.nps.navy.mil/home/distance.htm](http://stinet.dtic.mil/str/index.html)_
- Handles Registry
-      		_[http://hdl.dtic.mil/wobin/WebObjects/Handles](http://stinet.dtic.mil/str/index.html)_
- Digital Object Architecture
- Defense Virtual Library
-       	_[http://dvl.dtic.mil/](http://stinet.dtic.mil/str/index.html)_

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## What Needs to be Done

- Implement an expanded Handles Service
- Provide persistent identification of and access to public release and limited information
- Provide multiple Handle resolution
- Partnership with other government organizations to provide persistent identification of digital information

- Get persistent control over
- government information!!!

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## What Needs to be Done

- Implement Digital Object Architecture
- Demonstrate capabilities and benefits of the Digital Object Architecture in a _**real world**_ environment, e.g. R&D Life Cycle documents, conference proceedings, STI, complex documents, FMRs, Directives and Instructions, and FAR/DFAR
- Demonstrate integrated access to multiple information repositories
- Develop robust, reusable access control disseminators
- Develop digital object based preservation strategies
- Develop a metadata registry to support cross-repository information discovery

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## Interested in Partnering with DTIC?

- Contact
- Jim Erwin - (703) 767-9180
- Barbara Nekoba (Handles) - (703) 767-8004
- Steve Markheim (Digital Object Architecture) - 767-8053
- {jerwin; bnekoba; smarkhei}@dtic.mil

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