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 data set 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) through a simple web client also available at www.identificationkey.fr (last accessed 13 August 2012). Finally, a client plugin will be integrated to the Scratchpads biodiversity networking tool (scratchpads.eu).