Towards a better distributed database model..

> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Here is a draft David and I put together. Comments/suggestios are
> welcome.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Cengiz

Just a comment:

 It is quite interesting to note how the distribution model you propose
 (non-hierarchical peering, neighbor registries, ...) resembles BGP ;-)

a remark:

 assuming the "no source attribute" solution is chosen, which I see
 as the best, I understand from your phrasing:

 > [...]     Each maintainer object specifies a registry which
 > is authoritative for the objects that are maintained by itself.
 > 
 > When a user sends an update to a registry, that registry will forward it
 > to the registry which is authoritative for the object. The authoritative
 > registry updates its local copy of the database and invokes the flooding
 > protocol for other registries to pick up this change.
 > 
 > Note that, if an object is registered in the database with maintainer X
 > who authorizes registry Y, all updates will be performed by registry
 > Y. This will ensure consistency within Y's copy of the database. If
 > someone tries to register the same object with a different maintainer than
 > X, Y (or any other registry) will deny the update with a maintainer
 > failure error.

 that the authoritative registry for a certain object is in practice
 the registry where the object's maintainer is registered. I think it
 should be expressed more clearly. Something like:
   [...]
   When a user sends an update to a registry, that registry will
   forward it to the registry which is authoritative for the object
   (i.e. the registry specified in the object's maintainer entry).
   [...]

and a proposal:

 since the objects returned upon request by certain registry are
 actually data received by neighbor registries through some "distribution
 path" why not recycling the source attribute (or invent a new one) to
 keep track of that path? I'm prettu sure that this information may
 prove useful.

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