Archival Strategies with Hard Drives for Smaller Archives

1
Archival Strategies with Hard Drives for Smaller
Archives

• Jim Wheeler
• Media Technology Consultant
• MediaForward Consulting
• jim_at_mediafwd.com

2
The Digital Gorilla

• The idea of digitizing collections can be
  paralyzing to smaller archives.
• Cant get their hands around it.
• Case Study LARGE United Nations Department of
  Peacekeeping Operations
• Case Study SMALL Gorilla Foundation

3
The Digital Gorilla
4
General Issues and Strategies
5
Format Obsolescence

• Older format decks are no longer being made
• Benefits of going digital!
• Questions about storage

6
Storage Options for Audiovisual Material
Data Tape (LTO)
Hard Disk Drives
7
There is no ideal

• Both data tapes and disk drives have strengths
  and weaknesses for smaller archives
• Do not wait for the perfect storage technology or
  price point
• Do not rush to adopt the latest technology
• Find the balance
• Take action!

8
The Ingredients

• Media that contains the content
• (Tapes)
• Hardware to play the media
• (Tape decks)
• NEW Software to manage the hardware
• (Operating systems and storage management systems)

9
New Game

• Think Active Archives
• Online and immediately accessible or offline and
  shortly accessible

10
Game Plan

• Get an expert
• Archives access
• online or offline
• Archives system changes
• maintain playability
• Do what is right for your archives

11
Increasing Rate of Change

• Formats
• Storage
• Software Updates
• System Updates
• However, digital problems are stillbetter than
  analogs problems
• Get archives digital!

12
Your Archive as an Island

• Maintain control in the scientific sense
• Storage, playback equipment, and workstations
• Do not be unduly influenced by other archives
  strategies
• Your archive must work for you

13
Value of an Archives Technology Consultant

• Get technology recommendations for archives.
• Expert must think different.
• Archives IT experience.
• Must consider and manage the risks of upgrades to
  the integrity of the system.

14
Risks of Upgrades

• Plan ahead.
• Test and verify the effects of changes.

15
Redundancy

• Your archive is mission critical
• Learn from military and space operations
• Triple redundant systems three identical
  systems.
• Primary system, primary backup, and secondary
  backup.

16
The Role of Hard Disk Drives in Smaller Archives
17
Data Tape / Hard DriveSimilarities

• Capacity
• Reliability
• Physical Size

18
Data Tape / Hard DriveDifferences

• Accessing Single Unit
• Accessing Multiple Units
• Storage Environment
• Media Life
• Maintenance
• Access Time

19
Costs

• Snapshot

20
Migration Strategies for Smaller Archives using
HDDs

• As you go.
• Major migration upgrade (5 years)

21
Storage Strategies for Smaller Archives using
HDDs

• HDDs on shelves
• HDDs on shelves and online
• RAID/MAID arrays

22
Configurations LTO
robot
23
Configurations HDD
Hard Disk Drive
Hard Disk Offline
ZZZZ
Hard Disk Multiple Online
ZZZZ
Hard Disk Multiple Offline
Hard Disk RAID
ZZZZ
Hard Disk MAID
24
Conclusions

• For smaller archives, forget the ideal
• Find the expertise you need in archives
  technology
• Take action now to ensure the future of your
  archives
• jim_at_mediafwd.com

25
Dont be Sorry!