The Handle System is a general-purpose
distributed information system that provides
efficient, extensible, and secure identifier
and resolution services for use on networks
such as the Internet. The Handle System
includes an open protocol, a namespace,
and a reference implementation of the protocol,
making it infrastructure, not end-user or
off-the-shelf software.
The Handle System protocols enable a
distributed computer system to resolve and
store the identification information (or
handles) of digital resources into the elements
needed to locate, access, and otherwise
manage names for Internet resources (e.g.,
online documents, websites and pages and
other digital objects).
The Handle System was developed by
Dr.
Robert Kahn and his team
at the
Corporation
for National Research Initiatives®
(CNRI) in Reston, Virginia. Dr. Kahn is
a co-inventor of the TCP/IP protocols and
was responsible for originating DARPA's
Internet Program.