RFC 2651 (rfc2651) - Page 1 of 19

The Architecture of the Common Indexing Protocol (CIP)

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Network Working Group                                           J. Allen
Request for Comments: 2651                                WebTV Networks
Category: Standards Track                                    M. Mealling
                                                 Network Solutions, Inc.
                                                             August 1999


         The Architecture of the Common Indexing Protocol (CIP)

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   The Common Indexing Protocol (CIP) is used to pass indexing
   information from server to server in order to facilitate query
   routing. Query routing is the process of redirecting and replicating
   queries through a distributed database system towards servers holding
   the desired results. This document describes the CIP framework,
   including its architecture and the protocol specifics of exchanging
   indices.

1. Introduction

1.1. History and Motivation

   The Common Indexing Protocol (CIP) is an evolution and refinement of
   distributed indexing concepts first introduced in the Whois++
   Directory Service [RFC 1913, RFC 1914]. While indexing proved useful in
   that system to promote query routing, the centroid index object which
   is passed among Whois++ servers is specifically designed for
   template-based databases searchable by token-based matching.  With
   alternative index objects, the index-passing technology will prove
   useful to many more application domains, not simply Directory
   Services and those applications which can be cast into the form of
   template collections.






Allen & Mealling            Standards Track
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