This standard defines a client/server based service and protocol for Information Retrieval. It specifies procedures and formats for a client to search a database provided by a server, retrieve database records, and perform related information retrieval functions. The protocol addresses communication between information retrieval applications at the client and server; it does not address interaction between the client and the end-user. This standard describes the Information Retrieval Application Service and specifies the Information Retrieval Application Protocol. The service definition describes services that support capabilities within an application; the services are in turn supported by the Z39.50 protocol. The protocol specification includes the definition of the protocol control information, the rules for exchanging this information, and the conformance requirements to be met by implementation of this protocol. This standard is intended for systems supporting information retrieval services for organizations such as information services, universities, libraries, and union catalogue centers. It addresses connection oriented, program-to-program communication. It does not specify an interface. This standard was converted to stabilized maintenance January 5, 2015.