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Identifier & Naming System

This meta-model describes identifier schemes and namespaces as things in the world: who establishes a scheme, what syntax and checksums constrain it, how identifiers are assigned to referents, and how they are resolved and crosswalked between schemes. It is its own model because nearly every other model in the catalogue carries identifiers, and the drift, collision and resolution problems of naming can only be handled once, at the scheme level, rather than inside each consuming model.

AI YAMLAGENTS.mdSource
IDworld.n8-identifier-and-naming-system
Version history0.2.0-legacy
CategoryReference example
IndustryCross-industry
Domainknowledge-information
Tagsidentifier, naming, system
Data structure

Bundles and layers

Bundle

scheme

What a naming system is and who runs it

Layers

schemeDefinition`: schemes, syntax, checksums, scope · `authorityAndDelegation`: registrars, mandates, sub-delegation

Bundle

assignment

Binding names to things

Layers

allocation`: assignment of identifiers to referents · `identifierLifecycle`: reservation, retirement, reassignment

Bundle

resolution

Getting from name to referent

Layers

resolutionService`: resolvers, endpoints, coverage · `crosswalkAndMapping`: equivalences between schemes

Findings

Catalogue-native findings must describe the information grouped by each layer. This legacy version does not declare them separately.

Questions & artifacts

Questions, artifact requirements and serial naming rules are required by Vercy vNext; they remain unassigned in this reference version.

Service layers

How this specification operates

Dimension & namespace

  • REFERENCE `world.organization` (O1): registration authorities and resolver operators are organizations.
  • REFERENCE `world.modelOntology` (N6): the formal syntax of a scheme may itself be registered as a model.
  • REFERENCED BY `world.documentRecord` (N1), `world.dataset` (N3), `world.intellectualProperty` (N12) and other catalogue models: identifier and code Properties across the catalogue carry scheme plus version from this register, which is what makes drift detectable.
  • imports: iso-identifier-suites (ALIGN): the ISO family of identifier standards registered as schemes here.
  • imports: rfc-8141-urn (ALIGN): URN namespace syntax and resolution behaviour.

Canon, patches & standards

  • REFERENCE `world.organization` (O1): registration authorities and resolver operators are organizations.
  • REFERENCE `world.modelOntology` (N6): the formal syntax of a scheme may itself be registered as a model.
  • REFERENCED BY `world.documentRecord` (N1), `world.dataset` (N3), `world.intellectualProperty` (N12) and other catalogue models: identifier and code Properties across the catalogue carry scheme plus version from this register, which is what makes drift detectable.
  • imports: iso-identifier-suites (ALIGN): the ISO family of identifier standards registered as schemes here.
  • imports: rfc-8141-urn (ALIGN): URN namespace syntax and resolution behaviour.

Artifact formats & serial data

Format-independent core. Concrete artifact formats and naming prefixes are not declared in this legacy version.

Policies & accepted processes

  • `registrationContract`: terms under which a registrant obtains and keeps an assignment.
  • `resolutionServiceContract`: service terms for dereferencing identifiers at volume.
  • `bulkCrosswalkContract`: licensed access to full crosswalk tables between schemes.

Read / add / edit / delete

CRUD procedures and interface bindings are not declared in this legacy version.

Ownership, roles & access

The neutral owner archetype is the scheme registrar, who owns scheme definitions and assignment records; registrants own the facts about their own referents. Access is always granted by the respective owner through the catalogue's S1/S2 ownership and access models, with bulk exports audited via S4.

Existing assembly

Objects, relationships, events and projections

Objects

  • `identifierScheme`: a naming system with rules and scope; key attributes: schemeId, name, syntaxPattern, checksumAlgorithm, scope.
  • `registrationAuthority`: the party mandated to run a scheme or sub-namespace; key attributes: authorityRef, mandate, since.
  • `syntaxRule`: a constraint on valid identifiers; key attributes: ruleKind, expression.
  • `identifier`: a name within a scheme; key attributes: value, schemeRef, status.
  • `identifierAssignment`: the binding of an identifier to a referent; key attributes: referentRef, assignedAt, assignedBy, evidenceRef.
  • `resolutionService`: a service that dereferences identifiers; key attributes: endpointRef, protocol, coverage, serviceLevel.
  • `schemeCrosswalk`: a declared equivalence between schemes; key attributes: fromSchemeRef, toSchemeRef, mappingQuality.

Relationships

  • `identifierScheme` -> governedBy -> `registrationAuthority` (N:1): the mandate behind the scheme.
  • `identifierScheme` -> constrainedBy -> `syntaxRule` (1:N): what counts as a well-formed identifier.
  • `identifierAssignment` -> assigns -> `identifier` (1:1): the binding act for one name.
  • `identifier` -> resolvedBy -> `resolutionService` (N:N): where the name can be dereferenced.
  • `schemeCrosswalk` -> maps -> `identifierScheme` (N:N): equivalences across naming systems.
  • `registrationAuthority` -> delegates -> `registrationAuthority` (1:N): sub-namespace delegation chains.

Events

  • `schemeEstablished`: a new identifier scheme was created under a mandate.
  • `authorityDelegated`: a sub-namespace was delegated to another registrar.
  • `identifierAssigned`: an identifier was bound to a referent.
  • `identifierRetired`: an identifier was withdrawn from active use.
  • `identifierReassigned`: a retired identifier was bound to a new referent where the scheme permits.
  • `resolverEndpointChanged`: a resolution service moved or changed protocol.

Projections

  • `schemeRegistryView`: schemes, authorities and syntax rules; omits individual assignments.
  • `resolverLookupView`: single-identifier dereference results; omits scheme administration detail.
  • `crosswalkExport`: pairwise equivalence tables; omits assignment provenance.