More info here too:

http://www.handle.net/introduction.html

This handle stuff is interesting, but I don't entirely understand it.

I guess if the Global Handle Service really went down, it would be 
similar to a root-level DNS server going down -- you'd be in trouble, 
somewhat mitigated by whatever data your local resolver had cached.

Of course, CNRI maintains several failover mirrors of the Global Handle 
Service for that reason. (Much as we'd hope all the root-level DNS 
servers are thorougly failover-ed).

Jonathan

Ben O'Steen wrote:
> What happens if the main doi resolver goes down? I'd be interested to see
> how well a local resolver works when blocked from this upstream server. Are
> there any other upstream servers?
>
> Ben
>
> On Nov 23, 2009 10:10 PM, "Tom Keays" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Interesting stuff. I never really thought about it before that DOIs
> can be served up by the Handle server. E.G.,
>
> http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M004545200 <=>
>
> http://hdl.handle.net/10.1074/jbc.M004545200
> But, even more surprising to me was realizing that Handles can be
> resolved by the DOI server. Or presumably any DOI server.
>
> http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/46087 <=> http://dx.doi.org/2027.42/46087
>
> I suppose I should have understood this point since the Handle service
> does sort of obliquely say this.
>
> http://www.handle.net/factsheet.html
>
> Anyway, good to have it made explicit.
>
> Tom
>
> On Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 4:03 PM, Jonathan Rochkind <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>   
>> The actual "handle" ...
>>     
>
>