Semantics-aware resolution of multi-part persistent identifiers

In this paper, we outline the achievements of the NBN project w.r.t. persistent identification in the context of federated repositories and outline the capabilities of the current prototype. We describe the generalities on the approach adopted for PI assignment and resolution in the twofold modality of hierarchical and peer-to-peer request forwarding. The final implementation will enable each PI domain to communicate with other domains by using the same resolution interface. We also describe the advanced capabilities under development for the retrieval of complex objects by automated agents, combining the PMH interaction protocol with ORE data structures extended as to suit the purpose of digital preservation. We also sketch how to enable metadata interoperability by allowing clients to specify the native metadata format when interrogating a repository and translating proprietary descriptions accordingly.