This HANDLE.NET software is being made available under the Handle System Public License Agreement. Please read it carefully before downloading the software.

If you have downloaded and are using a previous version of the HANDLE.NET software under the CNRI License Agreement for educational, research and other non-commercial purposes, see Important Information about the Handle System Public License Agreement.

THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT APPLIES TO THE USE OF HANDLE SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY, WHETHER OR NOT YOU USE THE HANDLE.NET SOFTWARE.

IT IS NECESSARY TO ENTER INTO A SERVICE AGREEMENT IF YOU INTEND TO PROVIDE IDENTIFIER AND/OR RESOLUTION SERVICES USING THE HANDLE SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY UNDER THE HANDLE SYSTEM PUBLIC LICENSE.

The Handle System is not an end user system, and it is not off-the-shelf software. It's an underlying infrastructure for identifying resources whose location information needs to be updated from time to time. Handle servers should be installed by system administrators. It is very much like installing a Web server. The server should be installed on a machine with an Internet presence, which should be outside an organization's firewall. If it must be inside a firewall, then ports 2641 and 8000 need to be open to incoming and outgoing messages.

• If you are already a Handle System software user, skip to "Upgrading to Version 6.2".
• The download directory contains the HANDLE.NET 6.2 software in Java™, and includes the Client Library (ver. 6) -- Java™ Version. This release also has two administrative clients which enable identifier administration (creating, deleting, and modifying data); batch deposits, edits and deletions; creating prefixes and homing prefixes; and adding and deleting administrators and managing administrator permissions. Documentation for setting up a relational database as a secondary site (see SQL_SERVER_CONFIG.txt in the distribution for more information) and code and documentation for using Berkeley DB as a backend is included. See the Release Notes for changes to HANDLE.NET Software for version 6.2. software.
• Version 6.2 will run on most platforms with Java version 1.4.2 and higher.
• The download file is named hdl6.2.5_02.tar.gz. After untarring the distribution, please read install.txt for installation instructions.
• You will be able to review the code, and set up and configure the software, but you won't be able to create or resolve handles until you agree to the Handle System Service Agreement and become a Resolution Service Provider (RSP). Instructions for how to register to become an RSP are included in the distribution. If you choose to become an RSP, you will be asked to send the sitebndl.zip file that was generated when you configured the software to the Handle System Administrator. The sitebndl.zip file contains the information needed to create a prefix for your identifier and/or resolution service that will be made known to the Global Handle Registry, and under which you will create your identifiers.
• If you wish to be notified of new features and updates to Handle System software, please subscribe to the Handle-Info mailing list.

Please send questions about the HANDLE.NET software or about becoming a Resolution Service Provider to the Handle System Administrator at hdladmin@cnri.reston.va.us.