Globally unambiguous persistent name
Incomputing,object identifiers orOIDs are anidentifier mechanism standardized by theInternational Telecommunication Union (ITU) andISO/IEC for naming any object, concept, or "thing" with a globally unambiguous persistent name.[1][2]
An OID corresponds to anode in the "OID tree" or hierarchy, which is formally defined using the ITU'sOID standard,X.660. The root of the tree contains the following threearcs:
Each node in the tree is represented by a series of integers separated by periods, corresponding to the path from the root through the series of ancestor nodes, to the node. Thus, an OID denotingIntel Corporation appears as follows,
1.3.6.1.4.1.343
and corresponds to the following path through the OID tree:
- 1 ISO
- 1.3 identified-organization (ISO/IEC 6523),
- 1.3.6DoD,
- 1.3.6.1 internet,
- 1.3.6.1.4 private,
- 1.3.6.1.4.1 IANA enterprise numbers,
- 1.3.6.1.4.1.343 Intel Corporation
A textual representation of the OID paths is also commonly seen; for example,
- iso.identified-organization.dod.internet.private.enterprise.intel
Each node in the tree is controlled by an assigning authority, which may define child nodes under the node and delegate assigning authority for the child nodes. Continuing with the example, the node numbers under root node "1" are assigned by ISO; the nodes under "1.3.6" are assigned by the US Department of Defense; the nodes under "1.3.6.1.4.1" are assigned byIANA; the nodes under "1.3.6.1.4.1.343" are assigned by Intel Corporation, and so forth.
- ISO/IEC 6523 "International Code Designator" uses OIDs with the prefix "1.3".
- Incomputer security, OIDs serve to name almost every object type inX.509certificates, such as components ofDistinguished Names,CPSs, etc.
- WithinX.500 andLDAP schemas and protocols, OIDs uniquely name each attribute type and object class, and other elements of schema.
- InSimple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), each node in amanagement information base (MIB) is identified by an OID.
- IANA assignsPrivate Enterprise Numbers (PEN) to companies and other organizations under the 1.3.6.1.4.1 node. OIDs down-tree from these are among the most commonly seen; for example, within SNMP MIBs, as LDAP attributes, and as vendor suboptions in theDynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).
- In theUnited States,Health Level Seven (HL7), a standards-developing organization in the area of electronic health care data exchange, is the assigning authority at the 2.16.840.1.113883 (joint-iso-itu-t.country.us.organization.hl7) node. HL7 maintains its ownOID registry, and as of December 1, 2020 it contained almost 20,000 nodes, most of them under the HL7 root.
- DICOM uses OIDs.
- TheCenters for Disease Control and Prevention uses OIDs to manage the many complex values sets or "vocabularies" used in the Public Health Information Network (PHIN) Vocabulary Access and Distribution System (VADS).
There are multiple ways to acquire a OID. Both free and paid ones exist.
- Free registration with [IANA] below1.3.6.1.4.1 (ASN.1-Notation{iso(1) identified-organization(3) dod(6) internet(1) private(4) enterprise(1)}).
- Below of2.25 (ASN.1-Notation{joint-iso-itu-t(2) uuid(25)}) a self generatedUUID can be used.
- At national agencies. Like e.g. for the health sectorBfArM inGermany[1],BMSGPK inAustria[2] orde:Refdata inSwitzerland[3].
- At any organization that already has an OID and decides to sub allocate them.
