ARCHIVES Digest - 5 Sep 2006 to 6 Sep 2006 (#2006-248)

Kristen’s question about server storage is a good one. Most professionally-managed digital libraries and electronic archives use server based storage to enable sufficient capacity for large scale retention and preservation. This has the advantage of avoiding the pitfalls of media preservation (tape, disc, etc.) but there are still other things to consider:

 

Is this server professionally managed and maintained? Specifically are IT professionals there to ensure software upgrades, firewalls and virus protection are maintained? We’ve had some real fun trying to manage our own servers in our department with skilled people that were not up to the task. Keep in mind Microsoft applications and operating systems have been particularly vulnerable to attack, especially if the software upgrades are not installed in a timely manner.

 

Are we relying upon a single server? What is the backup or mirroring strategy? Redundancy is a longstanding principle in preservation and it is particularly important with digital materials.

 

Assuming server content is backed up, you should ask some questions about the backup routines: What is the frequency of backup? Does IT reuse the same media for rolling backups (reuse tends to reduce reliability of the media). Does the backup application employ lossy compression that might not be appropriate for image files? What quality control processes are in place to ensure the scope of the backup is correct as the server content grows?

 

Server based storage is absolutely necessary to achieve the scale we need for digital archives, especially as we move into more digital video and audio content. However managing servers is not for everyone. Employing IT professionals that have appropriate skillset, workload and professional development support is the best way to ensure your machines and software are operating with the least potential for loss.

 

Rob Spindler

University Archivist

Arizona State University Libraries

 

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