[aprssig] APRS-IS and metadata

[Nick VA3NNW]

> When I talk about metadata I mean metadata stored into the backend databases, that should be supplided by the iGates. Maybe it would be time to define a new mechanism now that at least LoRa-APRS is reasonably young and there are still few developers.

What are the "backend databases" to which you refer?

APRS-IS is essentially just a giant stream of de-duped TNC2-format 
lines. No storage, just one continuous "live" stream.

There's a hierarchy of servers, which all send all the packets to each 
other, up and down the tree, and around in loops, except thanks to the 
de-duping, loops never actually cause loops in the actual data itself.

Now possibly SOME people take that stream and put it into databases 
(aprs.fi, aprsdirect.de spring to mind, probably dozens of others), but 
you're not feeding all of them, you're feeding APRS-IS which in turn is 
feeding all of those (and many thousands of other clients, all somewhat 
alike, and all expecting TNC2 data). APRS-IS itself has no "backend 
databases" as such.

You would presumably need to find some way to add your metadata to 
TNC2-format lines... whilst also not breaking that de-duplication BTW, 
and also not breaking any other servers or clients that are expecting a 
stream of TNC2-format lines.

Nick VA3NNW

-- 
"Nosey" Nick Waterman, VA3NNW/G7RZQ, K2 #5209, IRLP #2410 on VE3RBM
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