12. Archival systems should plan for and manage their own obsolescence
(
)
Statement Archiving must plan for the obsolescence of the software and hardware it uses and manage the replacement of technical components in a way that does not endanger the authenticity, availability and accessibility of the information it gathers, preserves and provides access to. Rational Digital archiving is technically implemented as a set of hard- and software. As such, a digital archive is similarly prone to IT obsolescence as any other information system. From the moment development begins, a digital archive must plan for such obsolescence and ensure that the system can be updated regularly in a sustainable and (resource-)effective way, all while ensuring the accessibility and authenticity of archival information are not endangered. Further, a digital archive must be aware that at some point, it might need to replace the whole archival system for a new one. For this case, a clear exit strategy is necessary, including details about how the bulk of data and metadata stored within the archive can be either exported to or accessed by external systems for system migration purposes. Implications - An archive must ensure that its technical design and component architecture are well thought through and as future-proof as possible. - A clear exit strategy must exist, describing how all the information stored in the archive can be migrated into other systems in a standardised and resource-efficient manner; - Ideally, the exit strategy mandates the use of open standards (for example, the E-ARK specifications). - An archival system’s infrastructure is reasonably modular and allows individual modules to be replaced or updated independently. - Standardised communication / APIs are used to interact between different modules of an archive. - Archived information is stored in a system-agnostic way. - The technologies used within an archive are widely supported (to ensure that sufficient technical expertise exists). Notes (if any)