Benchmarking theBenchmarking thePreservation Process forPreservation Process for

Electronic Scholarly Electronic Scholarly JournalsJournalsBrian LavoieBrian Lavoie

Office of ResearchOffice of Research

OCLC Online Computer Library Center, OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.Inc.

DLF Fall Forum - November 19, 2000DLF Fall Forum - November 19, 2000

Digital ArchivingDigital Archiving

• Digital Archiving: Digital Archiving: outcome of processes carried out to effect outcome of processes carried out to effect long-term retention of digital objectslong-term retention of digital objects

• Digital Archiving Service: Digital Archiving Service: specification of:specification of:– expected outcome (digital object’s future state)expected outcome (digital object’s future state)– processes required to achieve expected outcomeprocesses required to achieve expected outcome

• Minimum Level of Archiving Service: Minimum Level of Archiving Service: combination of services combination of services sufficient to meet minimum requirements collectively sufficient to meet minimum requirements collectively articulated by stakeholders:articulated by stakeholders:– electronic scholarly journal publishers (information producers)electronic scholarly journal publishers (information producers)– libraries (information consumers)libraries (information consumers)– scholars (information producers and consumers)scholars (information producers and consumers)

Benchmark ServicesBenchmark Services• To ensure that minimum requirements are met:To ensure that minimum requirements are met:

– stakeholders must clearly describe their core archiving requirements stakeholders must clearly describe their core archiving requirements (minimum archiving service level)(minimum archiving service level)

– digital archival repository must clearly describe the services it will digital archival repository must clearly describe the services it will supply (processes/outcome)supply (processes/outcome)

• Suggests a need for common ground: Suggests a need for common ground: “menu” of benchmark “menu” of benchmark services 1) a digital archival repository might supply, or 2) services 1) a digital archival repository might supply, or 2) stakeholders might requirestakeholders might require

• Starting point Starting point for discussion among stakeholders, from which for discussion among stakeholders, from which a well-defined minimum archiving service level can emergea well-defined minimum archiving service level can emerge

• ““Blueprint”Blueprint” for archival repositories for archival repositories

VaultServices

BitPreservation

BitRendering

IntellectualContent

“Look and Feel”

Benchmark Digital Archiving ServicesBenchmark Digital Archiving Services

Vault ServiceVault Service

• How and in what form digital objects will be delivered to How and in what form digital objects will be delivered to the vault servicethe vault service

• Storage media used by the vault serviceStorage media used by the vault service

• Documentation and metadata to accompany digital object Documentation and metadata to accompany digital object at time of ingest (at a minimum, unique identifiers at time of ingest (at a minimum, unique identifiers sufficient to locate deposited objects on behalf of the sufficient to locate deposited objects on behalf of the depositor)depositor)

• Inventory and validation proceduresInventory and validation procedures

• Storage conditions, disaster recovery strategiesStorage conditions, disaster recovery strategies

• Access procedures for depositorsAccess procedures for depositors

Bit PreservationBit Preservation• Storage media refreshment and migration policiesStorage media refreshment and migration policies

• Responsibility for initiating refreshment or migration: service, Responsibility for initiating refreshment or migration: service, data producer, fixed schedule, other? Criteria governing data producer, fixed schedule, other? Criteria governing discretionary refreshment/migration?discretionary refreshment/migration?

• Documentation and metadata to accompany digital object (at a Documentation and metadata to accompany digital object (at a minimum, metadata supplied to vault service, plus minimum, metadata supplied to vault service, plus administrative/structural metadata to document administrative/structural metadata to document refreshment/migration activity)refreshment/migration activity)

• Validation procedures to document authenticity in concert with Validation procedures to document authenticity in concert with refreshment and migrationrefreshment and migration

• Redundant, offsite storage or data vaulting facilitiesRedundant, offsite storage or data vaulting facilities

Bit RenderingBit Rendering• Access policies for authorized usersAccess policies for authorized users

• Security measures to implement access restrictions Security measures to implement access restrictions (passwords, IP address filters)(passwords, IP address filters)

• Enforcement of copyright and license provisionsEnforcement of copyright and license provisions

• Documentation and metadata to accompany digital object (at a Documentation and metadata to accompany digital object (at a minimum, metadata supplied to bit preservation service, plus minimum, metadata supplied to bit preservation service, plus metadata for resource discovery and data rendering and metadata for resource discovery and data rendering and interpretation)interpretation)

• Finding aids and user support servicesFinding aids and user support services

• Ordering and dissemination mechanisms Ordering and dissemination mechanisms

Bit Rendering: Intellectual Bit Rendering: Intellectual ContentContent

• Acceptable digital object formats at time of ingestAcceptable digital object formats at time of ingest

• Format migration policies (e.g., frequency of Format migration policies (e.g., frequency of migration, specification of new formats)migration, specification of new formats)

• Characterization of the digital object’s intellectual Characterization of the digital object’s intellectual content that must be preserved despite change in content that must be preserved despite change in formatformat

• Back-up procedures supporting format migrationBack-up procedures supporting format migration– reversible format migration (original object recoverable from reversible format migration (original object recoverable from

current format)current format)– preserve copy of original digital object at all times preserve copy of original digital object at all times

Bit Rendering: “Look and Bit Rendering: “Look and Feel”Feel”

• Specification of hardware/software environments Specification of hardware/software environments supported by the bit rendering servicesupported by the bit rendering service– applicationapplication

– operating systemoperating system

– hardware configurationhardware configuration

• Strategies for preserving these environments Strategies for preserving these environments (emulation?)(emulation?)

• Policies for amending the list of supported Policies for amending the list of supported environments: by whose discretion and by what environments: by whose discretion and by what criteria changes to the list are permitted?criteria changes to the list are permitted?

ConclusionsConclusions• Objective: Objective: benchmark the broad classes of service a digital benchmark the broad classes of service a digital

archival repository might supplyarchival repository might supply– ““menu” of possible servicesmenu” of possible services

– common ground for discussion among stakeholders to achieve common ground for discussion among stakeholders to achieve consensus on minimum service levelconsensus on minimum service level

• Services collectively represent full spectrum of archiving Services collectively represent full spectrum of archiving activity:activity:– minimum service level may extend to all or part of spectrumminimum service level may extend to all or part of spectrum

– ““minimum” does not mean “minimal”minimum” does not mean “minimal”

• Services constituting minimum requirements may be:Services constituting minimum requirements may be:– provided by a single entityprovided by a single entity

– de-centralized across multiple entitiesde-centralized across multiple entities