Paper presented at the 12th International Conference on Digital Preservation, November 2-6, 2015. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Abstract: This paper describes how the E-ARK project (European Archival Records and Knowledge Preservation) aims to develop an overarching methodology for curating digital assets. This methodology must address business needs and operational issues, proposing a technical wall-to-wall reference implementation for the core OAIS flow – Ingest, Archival Storage and Access. The focal point of the paper is the Access part of the OAIS flow. The paper first lays out the access vision of the E-ARK project, and secondly describes the method employed to enable information processing and to pin-point the functional and non-functional requirements. These requirements will allow the E-ARK project to create a standardized format for the Dissemination Information Package (DIP), and to develop the access tools that will process this format. The paper then proceeds to describe the actual DIP format before detailing what the access solution will look like, which tools will be developed and, not least, why the E-ARK Access system will be used and work.

1. iPRES
12th International Conference on Digital Preservation
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Alex Thirifays
Danish National Archives (DNA)
E-ARK
European Archival Records and Knowledge Preservation
Towards a Common Approach for
Access to Digital Archival Records in
Europe

2. THE
E-ARK PROJECT
IS
CO-FUNDED
BY THE
EUROPEAN
COMMISSION
UNDER THE
ICT-PSP
PROGRAMME
www.eark-project.eu

3. What’s the ambition of E-ARK?
Overall goal: Create open source, full-fledged digital archive with
• Common workflows and terminology
• Common formats (SAD-IP)
• Common tools
• Solution will be: Scalable, computational, modular, robust,
and adaptable
Common methods
• Common framework using international
standards e.g. OAIS, PREMIS, METS, PAIS…
• Reuse of existing software (e.g. ICA-AtoM) and formats
(e.g. SIARD)
• Open Source, Github, etc.
Different content types
• Databases, geodata, Electronic Records Management Systems
(ERMS), individual computer files, and Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)

4. Who and what?
These designated communities…
• Producers
• Archives
• Consumers
Need…
• Everything but images (e.g. database archiving, geodata)
• User friendliness
• Uniformity; reduction of number of tools  Savings!
• Exchange  Is E-ARK the first step of a common
European infrastructure? What’s next?
Get…
• The Reference Implementation, which is

5. Reference implementation

6. Archival Storage
Access
E-ARK
SIP
SIP
Creation
Tools
Archival
records
Content and
Records
Management
Systems
SIP – AIP
Conversion
E-ARK
AIP
CMIS
Interface
Data
Mining
Interface
Digital preservation systems
AIP - DIP
Conversion
Scalable
Computation
E-ARK
DIP
Archival Search,
Access and
Display Tools
Content and
Records
Management
Systems
Data Mining
Showcase
Reference implementation
Ingest

7. Scope
SIP
•Package prepared by Pre-Ingest
WP3
AIP
•Package created for long-term archive
WP4
DIP
•Package created for access
WP5  Danish National Archives

8. ‘Access’ workpackage main working areas and method
Access Tools
User needs
Requirements
specification
&
DIP format
Best practices
Search Interface
Order Management
AIP-DIP transformation
DIP modification
End-user access to
requested archives

9. The GAP analysis
• Examine landscape of current access
solutions;
• Examine user needs for access solutions
• Compare those and create a
GAP analysis

10. Findings from GAP analysis
User requirements
Overall users’ needs are not met very well!
• Content data type coverage (databases!)  Must bridge!
• Integration of Access services  Must bridge!
• Metadata and search quality  Must bridge!
• Usability (& exploitation)  Must bridge!

11. The Access process

12. The use cases

13. DIP & tool requirements
Req.
no
Requirement description Use
Case
MoSCo
W
23 The DIP must allow for the inclusion of any
descriptive metadata from the AIP
UC4.2 M
24 The DIP must allow for the inclusion of any relevant
descriptions of access conditions and restrictions
UC4.2 M
25 The DIP must allow for the inclusion of any relevant
technical metadata about its content
UC4.2 M
26 The DIP must allow to use any relevant metadata
standards within it
UC4.2 M
27 The DIP must include the date and time of the
creation
UC4.2 M
28 The DIP must allow to include data in any type or
format within it
UC4.2 M
29 The DIP must include information which allows its
validation and authentication by the user
UC4.2 M
30 The DIP should include relevant information about
the context and provenance of the package (i.e. the
position in the archival hierarchy, reference to the
creator and archives)
UC4.2 S
31 The DIP should allow for including / logging
information about any changes done to the IP
during ingest (SIP), preservation (AIP) or access
preparation (DIP)
UC4.3 S
32 The DIP should include information about its
current status in the DIP preparation workflow (as
an example, whether the DIP is ready for delivery
UC4.3 S

14. Adaptation to local contexts
Pilot requirements

15. Metadata requirements
Examination of metadata standards:
• Categorization of metadata elements to enable
comparison of different standards
• Quantification of elements to produce a detailed
impression of the coverage of each standard
Result: METS, PREMIS, EAD, EAC-CPF,
INSPIRE, SIARD, Moreq

16. E-ARK DIP data model

17. E-ARK DIP folder structure

18. DIP Software component overview

19. Take-up and sustainability…
• Access attracts increasing attention/funding. For example
public authorities need access to their own records. This is why
national archives of Sweden and Norway are in the process of
creating so-called ‘middle archives’ that cater for these needs.
• Archives need database archiving. Over the coming 5 years, the
Danish National Archives will ingest around 100TB of data per
year, most of which are databases. No reason to believe that
public authorities in other countries generate less data.
• ~Data mining. Exploitation of data is sought for. However, there’s
a conflict between confidentiality and access. Will it be solved by
EU initiatives like Scrutiny?

20. Take-up and sustainability…
• The common IP format will
– facilitate exchange of information packages and
standardize the search for them and within them
– it will also reduce the number of tools needed in the
archival community, and thus their development cost and
maintenance cost
• Pilots will prove the concept, which is the main strength of
the E-ARK project regarding take-up
• Flexible work flows, micro-services and open source will
cater for adaptability to local needs and longevity

21. …and a glimpse into the future
• Finalisation of the DIP format (January 2016)
• Pilot release of E-ARK Access tools (April 2016)
• Functionality show-off at iPRES, Bern (2016)
• Final release of E-ARK Access tools (January 2017)
Beyond the E-ARK project there’s the possibility of building a
common, international archival infrastructure, building on the E-ARK IP
formats. It would allow people from everywhere to search in all kinds of
archival repositories, exploiting data in new ways, opening the doors
for new research, clever journalism, more efficient public
administration, and, not the least, new business possibilities for private
companies.

22. Thank you, iPRES!
Questions?
Alex Thirifays
alt@sa.dk