[OAI-implementers] Query Regarding OAI Identifier

[Pope Alison]

We are working on a project that will take our current eprints
collection from a dedicated eprints repository platform to a new
repository platform where eprints will be one of many collections.  I'm
trying to understand what the OAI implications of this will be and what
might be the impact of harvesters and other service providers.  One of
the things is with this broadening of the repository is it will use a
different domain name as currently designed.  I note however that this
goes against the OAi Identifier principles as we would want our
namespace identifier to change also.  This is currently defined as:

 

<description>

        <scheme>oai</scheme>

 
<repositoryIdentifier>eprints.rhul.ac.uk.OAI2</repositoryIdentifier>

 

We might in future want it to be:

 

<description>

        <scheme>oai</scheme>

        <repositoryIdentifier>digirep.rhul.ac.uk</repositoryIdentifier>

 

 

The OAI data provider registration guidelines
(http://www.openarchives.org/data/registerasprovider.html) states a
repository can only have one namespace identifier and a repository may
not change its namespace identifier.  Does this mean:

 

a)      It's not possible to change the OAI identifier as specified
above?

b)      We could change the OAI identifier above but we need to remove
all registrations for our old repository and register this as a new
repository rather than change the repository information

c)      Continue to use our existing eprints.rhul.ac.uk domain in the
OAI identifier configuration even though the repository URL is now
digirep.rhul.ac.uk because the identifier only relates to the OAI
request/response harvesting.

 

Has anyone done a similar repository migration and considered these
kinds of issues or has any suggestions on what best practice would be in
this sort of scenario.

 

May thanks,

Alison

 

 

Alison Pope

Business Analyst

IT Business Development

 

Computer Centre

Royal Holloway, University of London

Egham

Surrey

TW20 0EX

 

alison.pope at rhul.ac.uk <mailto:alison.pope at rhul.ac.uk> 

01784 414925

 

 

 

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