Getting Started
A practical guide to planning and implementing a FERIN-compliant register.
Quick Start Overview
Building a FERIN-compliant register involves six key steps:
Define Scope and Purpose
What will your register contain, and why?
Choose Register Type
Which capabilities do you need?
Design Identifier Scheme
How will items be uniquely identified?
Establish Governance
Who manages, approves, and uses the register?
Create Specification
Document all decisions in a register specification
Implement and Populate
Build or configure the system, add initial content
Step 1: Define Scope and Purpose
Before anything else, clearly define what your register will contain and why.
Questions to Answer
- Domain: What subject area does the register cover?
- Content: What specific items will be included?
- Boundaries: What is explicitly out of scope?
- Users: Who will use this register?
- Use cases: What problems does it solve?
Example: Country Codes Register
- Domain: Geographic identifiers
- Content: ISO 3166-1 country codes and names
- Boundaries: Subdivisions (ISO 3166-2) not included
- Users: Application developers, data integrators
- Use cases: Address validation, user location selection
Step 2: Choose Register Type
Refer to Register Types for detailed guidance. Key decision points:
Do definitions evolve?
If the meaning of items changes over time, you need Concept capability.
Do you need audit trails?
If you must prove who approved what, you need Governance capability.
Will external users depend on this?
If so, consider CCR for full commitments.
Step 3: Design Identifier Scheme
Identifiers are critical—they must be unique and persistent. See Identifier Design for detailed guidance.
Key Decisions
| Decision | Options | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Scheme type | UUID, URN, URL, DOI, custom | Match to persistence requirements |
| Namespace | Organization-based, domain-based | Ensure uniqueness across all registers |
| Format | Opaque, hierarchical, semantic | Opaque is safest for persistence |
| Resolution | None, HTTP redirect, URN resolver | HTTP URLs are most convenient |
Example Identifier Patterns
UUID: 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
URN: urn:iso:std:iso:19135:country:US
URL: https://register.example.org/country/US
DOI: 10.1234/register.country.US
Custom: REG-2024-00001Step 4: Establish Governance
Define who does what. See Governance for role definitions.
Minimum Roles to Fill
- Owner: Accountable for the register
- Manager: Day-to-day operations
- Control Body: Approves changes (if governed)
Governance Decisions
- Who can submit proposals?
- What approval process applies?
- How are disputes resolved?
- How are changes communicated?
Step 5: Create Specification
Document all decisions in a register specification. Use the Register Specification template as a starting point.
Specification Sections
Step 6: Implement and Populate
With planning complete, build or configure your register system.
Implementation Options
Initial Population
If migrating existing data, see the Upgrade Guide. Key considerations:
- Should bulk import bypass normal governance?
- How will existing content be identified?
- What change history should be created?
Decision Points Summary
| Decision | Options | See |
|---|---|---|
| Simple vs governed | Content only vs governed register | Register Types |
| Versioning scheme | Semantic, date-based, sequential | Versioning |
| Identifier type | UUID, URN, URL, DOI | Identifier Design |
| Role assignments | Who fills each role | Governance |
| Commitment level | Access, persistence, transparency levels | Commitments |