Abstract:
The field of digital preservation is being defined by a set
of standards developed top-down, starting with an abstract reference
model (OAIS) and gradually adding more specific detail. Systems
claiming conformance to these standards are entering production use.
Work is underway to certify that systems conform to requirements
derived from OAIS.
The fundamental goal of these systems is to ensure that the
information they contain remains accessible for the long term. We
develop a parallel set of requirements based on observations of how
existing systems handle this task, and on an analysis of the threats to
achieving that goal. On this basis we suggest disclosures that systems
should provide as to how they satisfy their goals.