UsingSRW
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Main Page >> Tools and Strategies for Using and Enhancing / Extending the OAI Protocol
[edit] Using SRU/W
Nascent OAI data providers immediately encounter the problem of finding an OAI implementation compatible with their database engine, record storage format, and native metadata schema. Too often, the solution is to implement OAI from scratch to accommodate local conditions. But, despite claims that OAI is a simple protocol, the world is full of problematic repositories. Concern for accommodating diverse database configurations, though, isn't unique to OAI. Ideally, such applications can ignore the details and focus on some standard database interface. For relational databases, SQL is that standard. For almost everything else, we now have SRU/W.
SRU (Search/Retrieve via URL) is a standard search protocol for Internet search queries, utilizing CQL (Common Query Language), a standard query syntax for representing queries. SRW (Search Retrieve Web Service) is a companion protocol to SRU. The Library of Congress serves as the maintenance agency for these standards.
SRU/W is the next-generation Z39.50, allowing differently configured databases to speak to one another and allow searching across all of them. There are multiple levels of SRU/W. At UMichigan, a Level 0 implemention has been developed allowing for simple keyword queries to the OAIster database. See the UMichigan documentation for more information.
Jeff Young at OCLC has developed an SRU/W profile for his ERRoL service:
- ERRoLs An ERRoL is a "Cool URL" to metadata, content, and services related to registered OAI repositories. Any OAI repository can use the ERRoL service by registering a unique repository identifier with the OAI Data Provider Registry at UIUC.
- SRU/W Registry
- Identify verb from SRU/W Registry
