Network, Networking Technology, Data Communication Terms, Glossary and Dictionary

URN: Uniform Resource Name

Uniform Resource Name (URN) is an Internet resource with a name that, unlike a URL, has persistent significance -- that is, the owner of the URN can expect that someone else (or a program) will always be able to find the resource. A frequent problem in using the Web is that Web content is sometimes moved to a new site or a new page on the same site. Since links are made using Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), they no longer work when content is moved. A URN has the format like a UTL. For example urn:def://blue_laser where "def://" might indicate an agency or an accessible directory of all dictionaries, glossaries, and encyclopedias on the internet and "blue laser" was the name of a term. The result of using the agency could be the "best definition," the "longest definition," or even all definitions that the agency could find of "blue laser".

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URN: Uniform Resource Name