#605: Permalink-like support for URLs referenced in record
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Reporter: skaplun | Owner:
Type: enhancement | Status: new
Priority: major | Milestone: v1.1
Component: *general* | Version:
Keywords: permalink bibupload FFT external URL |
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It would be great to be able to consider records stored in Invenio as
''master resources of information''.
If a record references an ''external URL'', a weak link between the record
in Invenio and the external resource is created. What if this resource is
moved? The URL in the record must be updated! But what if some service has
been built that assumed the URL initially provided by Invenio in the
record would have stayed forever? The service would be broken.
To solve this issue, Invenio should be considered as master, to serve
URLs, so that if the external URL changes, it would suffice to update an
''internal redirection table'', and any external client, would
transparently have the update.
----
This could be implemented in the following way:
* we invent a ''new subfield'' to 8564 tag, that should contain an ID that
will be used to build the "permalink". This subfield should be repeatable.
Its value '''must''' be unique WRT the record. Say ''$7''
* everytime bibupload is seeing an 8564 tag with URL (or an FFT that will
cause the 8564 tag to be automatically created), if it is missing the
''$7'' subfield will automatically allocate it (this ID will be uniquely
generated after properties of the URL)
* a new URL handler should be added that would handle URLs such as:
{{{
http://<server>/record/<recid>/permalink/<ID>
}}}
such handle should check for authorization to access ''<recid>'' and
should then check within the record what ''<ID>'' resolves to and should
redirect the user using via an HTTP 307 (Temporary Redirect) (see also
<http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec10.html>)
* format elements that were previously delegated to display links to the
external URLs should instead provide the permalink.
* if the ''$7'' is missing upon formatting of the record, the original URL
should be provided as compatibility.
* if the external URL changes and an update to the record in Invenio is
necessary, one have simply to update (e.g. via BibEdit) the $u field for
the URL, without touching the ''$7''.
* additionaly we might decide that any bibupload that append a URL, whose
field is specifying an existing ''$7'', will erase the old field and will
become the new URL.
* if a URL is added without specifying a ''$7'' it would automatically
receive one from BibUpload. However if then it becomes clear that this URL
should be the new reference for a resource that was previously already
specified, the ''$7'' of the old URL will be added to the new one (so the
URL will be resolved by two permalinks, and that's why ''$7'' should be
repeatable).
----
At CERN this might be useful, for example, to implement a more robust
integration with ''MediArchive''. CDS would be the master reference for
MediaArchive URLs, and if an URL on MediaArchive would change, only the
record in CDS would need to be updated (any service using CDS as master
won't be affected).
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Ticket URL: <http://invenio-software.org/ticket/605>
Invenio <http://invenio-software.org>
