Re: Design Team Notes: Links/Attributes/Metadata

Jim & co,
2 comments from an outsider:

- can there be multiple links with the same type on the same doc?
  in that case, GetLinkVal will have to do appropriate failure

- architecture: systems that require the server to talk to other
  servers in order to reply to the client have proven to be
  cumbersome at the best of times, and disasters at the worst of times.
  Consider in particular:
  - What should GetLinkVal return when the destination server is down,
    that clearly pinpoints the problem source?
  - What content negotiation should the linksource server do when
    negotiating with the linkdestination server on behalf of the user?
  - What if the linkdestination is a secured resource, and the
    linkdestination server authorizes the user, but not the linksource
    server?

I think you will find that you need a very lightweight fallback from
GetLinkVal to the two-step process; GetLinkVal then becomes an
optimization for the case where there is only one link, the resource
is on or near the same server, and there is no content negotiation.

Have fun!

            Harald A

Received on Wednesday, 15 January 1997 06:40:06 UTC