Re: [alto] Info Resource Dirs, OPTIONS, 300 Multiple Choices and all that jazz ....

[Robert Varga <[e-mail]>]

On 07/28/11 08:09, Thomson, Martin wrote:
> That said...  The way the text is structured implies something more complicated than it needs to be.  That is, it implies that an entry MAY identify a resource in a way that is not sufficiently defined to actuate that resource.  That's bad.  It does the clients a disservice and ought not happen in anything other than an error condition.
>
> Structuring the description in a different way could alleviate the problem.
>
> 1. a directory identifies resources as completely as possible
> 2. error handling requires good client feedback:
>   (a) all resources provide responses to OPTIONS requests that identify their own capabilities
>   (b) resources provide appropriate HTTP responses so that clients can correct mistakes (405, 406, etc...)

I think a flow diagram or description of how exactly the client/server 
interaction w.r.t. these three ways of discovering resources would be 
very useful.

The protocol, as well as discovery, assume the client's first request 
would be for the IRD. I do not exactly see why the IRD cannot be 
strictly authoritative for non-IRD resources. If it has 
non-authoritative knowledge, it should point to IRD of the authoritative 
entity -- simple and extensible.

Bye,
Robert