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.
