DAITSS, an OAIS-based preservation repository

Abstract

DAITSS is a preservation repository application developed by the Florida Center for Library Automation (FCLA) for use by the Florida Digital Archive (FDA), a digital repository shared by the eleven universities in the Florida public university system. DAITSS is strictly modeled on the Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System (OAIS). DAITSS can accept a Submission Information Package (SIP), transform the SIP into a stored Archival Information Package (AIP), and transform the AIP into a Dissemination Information Package (DIP) on request. To do so, it directly implements four of the six OAIS functional entities: Ingest, Data Management, Archival Storage, and Access. Functions of the remaining two entities, Administration and Preservation Planning, are performed by FDA staff with support from DAITSS reporting and data management functions. DAITSS is unique among repository applications in that it was designed to ensure the long-term renderability of authentic digital materials. In contrast to Private LOCKSS Networks, which do little but replicate data, DAITSS implements active preservation strategies, maintains standardized preservation metadata including digital provenance, and performs continuous fixity checking on multiple stored copies. The preservation protocol implemented by DAITSS combines bit-level preservation, format normalization, and forward format migration. FCLA will be releasing a second version of the DAITSS application (DAITSS 2) as a sequence of RESTful web services in 2010, at which time the code and documentation will be freely available for other institutions to use.