-%# $Id: home.mc,v 1.6 2007-03-14 17:25:53 mike Exp $
+%# $Id: home.mc,v 1.9 2007-04-18 12:05:45 mike Exp $
<div class="essay">
+ <h2>The Z39.50 Target Directory</h2>
<p>
- <b>IRSpy</b> maintains a registry of information retrieval
- targets supporting standard IR protocols such as
+ The Z39.50 Target Directory contains all the
<a href="http://lcweb.loc.gov/z3950/agency/"
>ANSI/NISO Z39.50 (ISO 23950)</a>
and
<a href="http://www.loc.gov/sru"
- >the SRU/SRW web services</a>.
- Each registry entry consists of both mechanical information,
- such as the indexes supported for searching and the record
- syntax and schemas supported for retrievel, and metadata such as
- database titles, authors and descriptions.
+ >the SRU/SRW</a>.
+ targets known to us. The tables show the name, address, port,
+ reliability info, search attributes and other data useful
+ for achieving interoperability.
</p>
<p>
- IRSpy supports editing of the metadata, and automatically
- discovers mechanical information by probing the registered
- targets using a set of feature-tests. Tests are implemented by
-%# Link to /doc.html?module=ZOOM/IRSpy/Test.pm is not ready yet
- individual plugins,
- so new tests can be added without changing the core code.
+ We at Index Data know that the records currently in this
+ directory represent only a fraction of the Z39.50/SRU/SRW
+ compliant databases that exist. Our aim is to make this
+ directory as comprehensive as possible. To that end, we ask
+ your help. If you are aware of a Z39.50 compliant target that
+ is not represented in our directory, please add it or send us
+ email with the details. Also, if you should happen to find an
+ error in our data or have additional information, please don't
+ hesitate to contact us so that we can make the target
+ information as accurate and comprehensive as possible.
</p>
<p>
- For efficiency, probing of targets is done in parallel, using a
- pool of a few hundred concurrent connections which is refilled
- from a queue whenever a target in the pool completes its tests.
- Testing the entire current registry of 1908 targets takes about
- three elapsed hours on commodity hardware (Intel CPU, 2.8 GHz,
- 256 Kb cache, 4 Mbit/s network connection).
+ <b>DISCLAIMERS</b>: Most of the systems listed are generally
+ made available without charge for testing or general use, but
+ many require authorization, either for access or additional
+ functionality. The Target Directory does not contain
+ authentication information, and it is not meant to be a
+ substitute for authentication/authorization procedures many
+ targets require. In addition, the information presented here
+ should not be considered indicative either of the functionality
+ of the native interface of the target, or of the functionality
+ of any given software system or installation. This directory is
+ made available for evaluation purposes only. Although we try to
+ make it as accurate as we can, Index Data assumes no
+ responsibility or warranty for its correctness.
</p>
<p>
- IRSpy's Web user interface allows users to
- <a href="/find.html">search</a>
- and
- <a href="/find.html?dc.title=^a*&_sort=dc.title&_count=9999&_search=Search">browse</a>
- the registry, and to view
- <a href="http://x.irspy.indexdata.com/stats.html">statistics</a>.
- Authenticated users may also edit target data, run tests and add
- new targets from the Web UI. A set of command-line tools is
- also provided, together with facilities for re-running the tests
- periodically.
- </p>
- <p>
- IRSpy is implemented in Perl, using the
- <a href="http://search.cpan.org/~mirk/Net-Z3950-ZOOM/"
- >ZOOM-Perl</a>
- module to access Z39.50 and SRU/SRW databases. The registry
- database is implemented using
- <a href="http://indexdata.com/zebra/"
- >Zebra</a>,
- also accessed using ZOOM-Perl. The database
- <a href="/doc.html?module=ZOOM/IRSpy/WebService.pod"
- >can be interrogated using SRU/SRW<a/>:
- it conforms to the
- <a href="http://srw.cheshire3.org/profiles/ZeeRex/"
- >ZeeRex application profile</a>,
- and can supply registry records both in extended
- <a href="http://explain.z3950.org/dtd/"
- >ZeeRex format</a>
- (now ratified as
- <a href="http://www.niso.org/standards/standard_detail.cfm?std_id=816"
- >ANSI/NISO Z39.92</a>
- and in
- <a href="http://www.loc.gov/standards/sru/record-schemas.html"
- >Dublin Core</a>
- summary format.
+ <small>
+ Read more about
+ <a href="/software.html">the IRSpy software</a>.
+ </small>
</p>
</div>