IKey+: a new single-access key generation web service

Single-access keys are a major tool for biologists who need to identify specimens. The construction process of these keys is particularly complex (especially if the input dataset is large) so having an automatic single-access key generation tool is essential. As part of the European project ViBRANT, our aim was to develop such a tool as a web service, thus allowing end-users to integrate it directly into their workflow. IKey+generates single-access keys on demand, for single users or research institutions. It receives user input data (using the standard SDD format), accepts several key-generation parameters (affecting the key topology and representation), and supports several output formats. IKey+ is freely available (sources and binary packages) at www.identificationkey.fr. Furthermore, it is deployed on our server and can be queried (for testing purposes) via a simple web client also available at www.identificationkey.fr. Finally a client plugin will be integrated to the Scratchpads biodiversity networking tool (scratchpads.eu).