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Use It or Lose It! Preserving Your Digital Documents. Rob Spindler, University Archivist Arizona State University Libraries ECURE 2004. Eight Challenges of Electronic Document Preservation. A review of fundamental issues Applies to desktop and enterprise level
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Use It or Lose It!Preserving Your Digital Documents Rob Spindler, University Archivist Arizona State University Libraries ECURE 2004 rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges of Electronic Document Preservation • A review of fundamental issues • Applies to desktop and enterprise level • All eight items must be addressed for success rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Storage Media 1. Physical Degradation of Storage Media • CD’s last 30-100 years, BUT • Temperature/Humidity • Pollutants • Improper Handling • Scratches, bent • Label adhesives/Inks rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Storage Media 2. Physical Obsolescence of Storage Media • 5.25” floppy discs • Obsolete backup tape cartridges • Obsolete optical discs/cartridges rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Storage Media 3. Obsolescence of Media Recording or Playback Devices • Data storage efficiency increases 10X-50X every 10 years • Recording device production life about 10 years. • Mfg. product support 5-7 yrs. after production termination rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Storage Media Four Types of Recordable DVD: • DVD-R • DVD-RW (Pioneer device) • DVD-RAM – Type 1 & 2 (IBM, Gateway) • DVD+R / DVD+RW (Hewlett-Packard, Dell) rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Software 4. Migration Failure Three kinds of migration: • Migration to new release of same software. • Migration to new software • Migration to software independent format (e.g. ASCII Text) rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Software 4. Migration Failure (Software, Operating System or Encoding Incompatibility) • New software release won’t run file from old release. • New software release opens old file but contents are corrupted. rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Software • Incompatibility, continued: • Software is not compatible with operating system. • Display with one internet browser doesn’t look the same in a different browser. rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Software • Incompatibility, continued: • Proprietary codes from HTML editing packages do not convert to new HTML applications. • Browser does not support encoding standard used (XML). rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Human Factors 5. Human Error / Vandalism • Accidental or malicious deletion. • Website is vandalized. • Virus protection failure rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Backups 6. Backups and Snapshots • Backups lost or overwritten. • Wrong files backed up. • Incomplete snapshot: Video server backed up, web server not. rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Metadata 7. Lost or Absent Metadata • Data about Data • Two Types: Administrative Descriptive rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Metadata Administrative Metadata: • Hardware and Software Requirements • Maintenance & Migration History • Version Control • Data Dictionaries rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Metadata Descriptive Metadata: • Media Labels • File Lists • Electronic Descriptions: • File folder titles • Filenames • File Header – Dublin Core rob.spindler@asu.edu
Eight Challenges – Metadata 8. Linkage/Addressing Failure: • URL in document changes • Linkage between description and digital object fails rob.spindler@asu.edu
What to Do? Recommendations… 1) Actively manage your files! 2) Select Carefully! 3) Refresh and/or migrate to new storage media on a regular schedule 4) Consider redundant and/or offline storage rob.spindler@asu.edu
What to Do? Recommendations… 5) If you can, use standards: • ASCII text • Unicode (supports foreign languages) • For HTML web documents, use W3c standards and verification service • For encoded text: TEI, XML rob.spindler@asu.edu
What to Do? Recommendations… 6) If you must, select robust software: • Use widely adopted software with “large installed base” • Look for proven export capabilities • Ask about backwards compatibility rob.spindler@asu.edu
What to Do? Recommendations… 7) Plan for migration and emulation: • Migrate legacy and active content: • to new release of same software • to compatible different software • Test migrations w/sample data • Retain obsolete software and files rob.spindler@asu.edu
What to Do? Recommendations… 8) Address Human Factors: • Provide adequate training • Conduct audits and quality control checks • Create, maintain and document procedures • Maintain secure systems and virus protection. rob.spindler@asu.edu
What to Do? Recommendations… 9) Create and Maintain Metadata: • Label your storage media • Create descriptive filenames and file folder titles • Make Data Dictionaries – consider paper or offline • Use Dublin Core for Webstuff rob.spindler@asu.edu