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What are ARKs?

ARKs (Archival Resource Keys) are high-functioning identifiers that lead you to things and to descriptions of those things. For example, this ARK,

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The only prerequisite is to fill out an online request for a NAAN on behalf of your organization. There is no charge to obtain a NAAN and all memory organizations are welcome. Within a day or two you should receive an email containing a NAAN for your organization's exclusive use. Meanwhile consider the following.

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  • What things do you want to name with ARKs? Generally you name objects that you own, control, or manage.
  • Will you assign ARKs to things contained in larger things that have ARKs? This (granularity) is not a problem, and the '/' character may help.
  • Where do you want your ARKs to resolve to? Examples: formatted file, surrogate for a physical thing, landing page with choices, etc.
  • Which web server will host your objects? You are asked this when you request a NAAN, even if it's not yet working.
  • Which web server/resolver will you use as hostname in the ARK-based URLs that you advertise/publish?
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    It's like serving ordinary URLs. Incoming URL strings get mapped to content that you return, and if your resolver redirects ARKs to those URLs, you're all set. If you're dealing directly with incoming ARK strings, you can map (convert) them to a form your server handles (eg, map them to URLs on arrival). In this second case, your server is acting as a local resolver.

    If you choose to run your own ARK infrastructure, you get complete autonomy at the expense of maintaining a server/resolver. On the one hand, you might run all custom infrastructure – including content management, web hosting, minting (generating unique identifier strings), and running your own server/resolver. That infrastructure could be very simple, such as server configured to map incoming ARK-based URLs to server file pathnames. When you request your NAAN you will be asked to supply the base URL of your local server or resolver.

    At the other extreme, you might work with a vendor that supplies all the infrastructure so that, for example, you can focus on creating content. Hybrid solutions are also common, such as just taking your current web server arrangement and just adding an identifier management piece (eg, the API/UI provided by ezid.cdlib.org, which partners with n2t.net).

    You will also want to think about whether to advertise (release, publish, disseminate) your ARKs based at your resolver or at n2t.net. You might choose the former for branding or the latter for stability. Resolving your ARKs through n2t.net is always possible, regardless of how you advertise them (this is a side-effect of obtaining a NAAN).

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