An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Incorporating Biometric Software Development Kits into the Development Process
Published
Author(s)
Karen Marshall, Ross J. Micheals, Kevin C. Mangold, Kayee K. Hanaoka
Abstract
Biometric devices have emerged as pervasive and indispensable tools in facilitating security in many industries and governments worldwidethe use of these devices has consistently increased and advanced. However, advancement of the methodologies used to implement them has been considerably slower. Most biometric SDKs do not readily lend themselves to the development process but instead result in adding complexity that impedes developer flexibility. The integration of biometric devices is still costly, labor intensive, and prone to interoperability challenges. This document describes a process used to achieve more flexible and reliable integration of biometric sensor SDKs into the application development process. It is intended for two audiences. First, for developers, it provides an analysis of the typical biometric SDK installation process and guidelines on how to increase reliability and repeatability of the SDK installation process, with an emphasis on separating the compile-time and run-time resources. Second, for biometric sensor providers,[1] it suggests a specific set of resources to be distributed in SDKs that allow developers to access SDK components as well as obtain details pertinent to the use and maintenance of their biometric sensor solutions. This methodology incrementally isolates various functions of an SDK in order to confirm a devices correct installation. The tools and methods provided are constructed in a manner that is applicable to any modality of biometric device. The methodology discussed adds uniformity and reliability to the widely varying installation processes (or lack thereof) used by the different manufacturers. It promotes direct manipulation of the compile-time and run-time components of an SDK, is well suited for automated builds and decreases development time and costs related to the installation portion of SDK integration.
Marshall, K.
, Micheals, R.
, Mangold, K.
and Hanaoka, K.
(2013),
Incorporating Biometric Software Development Kits into the Development Process, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.7929
(Accessed April 3, 2025)