The Electronic Records Archives (ERA) Program: NARA

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The Electronic Records Archives (ERA)
ProgramNARAs Progress in Permanent
Preservation of Electronic Records
The National Archives and Records Administration

• Fynnette Eaton
• Change Management Officer
• National Archives Records Administration

ARMA Fed Day ProgramCreative Solutions for
Changing TimesOctober 5, 2004
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The Challenges ERA Faces with Electronic Records

• Scope The Entire Federal Government
• Variety Different Types of Records
• Complexity Records in Different Formats
• Volume Enormous Amounts of Records
• Obsolescence Constantly Changing Technology

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How NARA Responded to the Electronic Records
Challenge
A Directive from the Archivist of the United
States
The Electronic Records Archives (ERA) is NARAs
Strategic Response ERA is a comprehensive,
systematic, and dynamic means of preserving and
providing continuing access to authentic
electronic records over time.
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How NARA Responded to the Electronic Records
Challenge
A Directive from the Archivist of the United
States
The Goal of ERA is to enable NARA to preserve
and provide access to any type of electronic
record created anywhere in the Federal
Government.
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How NARA Responded to the Electronic Records
Challenge
A Directive from the Archivist of the United
States
The ERA Vision "ERA will authentically preserve
and provide access to any kind of electronic
record, free from dependency on any specific
hardware or software, enabling NARA to carry out
its mission into the future." John W. Carlin,
Archivist of the United States
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Ensuring Authenticity The property of a record
that it is what it purports to be, and has not
been corrupted

• For traditional paper records we must
• Preserve and maintain the medium (content)
• Document and maintain a chain of custody
• Maintain the context of the record to other
  records

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Ensuring Authenticity The property of a record
that it is what it purports to be, and has not
been corrupted

• For complex electronic records
• We must preserve the essential properties of the
  record

Content Context
Structure Behavior
Examples of complex electronic records
Databases, Web sites, GIS, Virtual Reality
Models, etc.
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Understanding Obsolescence

• The storage media must be monitored and
  maintained
• Future Access to these records rely on
  technologiesthat evolve rapidly and become
  obsolete, such as
• The computer Operating System that created the
  record (e.g. DOS, Mac, Unix, etc.)
• How different computers communicate with each
  other
• Data recording formats
• Software used to reproduce the records

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ERAs Goals

• Overcome technological obsolescence in a manner
  that preserves demonstrably authentic records
• Build a dynamic solution that
• Accepts that changes will happen
• incorporates continuing change in IT
• Takes advantage of new technologies
• Maintains and improves performance
• Improves customer service

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Our Partners
NIST
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Research Initiatives

• Building the Open Archival Information System
  (OAIS) with the NASA
• San Diego Supercomputer Center is understanding
  persistent archives
• InterPARES Identifying Requirements for
  preserving authentic records

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ERA ResearchCurrent Activities

• Data Grid enabled Transcontinental Persistent
  Archives Model
• 2.5M files distributed across NARA, SDSC, U of
  MD, Stanford/SLAC, NNSA KCP
• Accessing Files regardless of media or location
• Understanding latest Grid Technologies
• Advanced data management and Interoperability
  techniques
• Knowledge-based technologies enabling
  preservation of electronic records collections

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ERA ResearchOther Active NARA Collaborations

• U.S. Army Research Laboratory Georgia Tech
  Research Institute Decision Support Systems for
  Presidential Electronic Records/Information
  Assurance
• NIST / ITLRequirements to Support Presidential
  ElectronicCryptographic Technologies to Support
  Authenticity Requirements
• NNSA Preservation of complex CAD/CAE objects
• NASA OAIS Reference Model (ISO 147212003)
• DOD Information Assurance
• State Dept. Knowledge Based Technology

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ERA Research Test Collections in the Virtual
Archives Lab (VAL)

• Executive Office of the President Email
• Digital Photographs, Document Images Geospatial
  records
• Computerized Design (CAD / CAE) Records
• Senate Legislative Activities
• Presidential Libraries Materials
• Federal Agencies Web Materials
• 2M Patents (USPTO DARPA)
• Stanford Linear Accelerator Research Records
• Microcomputer files from Administration of
  President Geo. H.W. Bush

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The ERA SystemRequirements

• Persistent
• To be able to manage and access records over
  time.
• Authentic
• To ensure that record is what it purports to be,
  and has not been corrupted.
• Scalable
• To grow and adapt to increasing volumes and
  evolving types of electronic records.
• To serve a variety of user groups.

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What NARA will do to Implement the ERA System

• Acquiring a System that meets our requirements
• i.e. Life-cycle management, preservation/access
  to electronic records
• Organizational Change Management
• Ensuring that NARA can successfully implement the
  system
• Research and Exploratory Development
• Address new challenges posed by continuing change
  in IT and its use in government
• Capitalize on opportunities offered by
  technological progress

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The Strategies that we will use

• Attack the critical preservation issue
• Define Lifecycle requirements
• Find solutions in mainstream technologies
• Keep pace with the next generation national
  information infrastructure
• Align with overall direction of IT in the U.S.
  Government

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Anticipated Incoming Permanent Electronic
Records Collections within the next 15 years
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The ERA Program Where we are now

• 12/ 03 Release of RFP
• 8/15/04 Award Two Design Contracts
• FY05 4thQtr Select a Single Developer
• Five Increments (Inc) w/ Multiple Releases
• FY07 Initial Operating Capability
• 2011 Full Operating Capability

4th Qtr. 2005
2011
FY 2007
8/15/04
12/03
Inc 2
Inc 3
Inc 4
Inc 5
Inc 1
2 years
1 year
1 year
1 year
1 year
Release of the Request For Proposal
Full Operating Capability (FOC)
Select Single Developer
Initial Operating Capability (IOC)
Contract Awarded
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Design Contracts awarded toTwo Nationally-Known
Companies

• Harris Corporation, Government Communications
  Systems DivisionHarris Corporation is an
  international communications equipment company
  focused on providing product, system, and service
  solutions for commercial and government
  customers. The company serves markets for
  microwave, broadcast, secure tactical radio, and
  government communications systems. Harris has
  more than 10,000 employees, including 5,000
  engineers and scientists, and is headquartered in
  Melbourne, Florida.
• Firm-fixed price design contract value 10.6
  million
• Lockheed Martin, Transportation and Security
  Solutions Division Lockheed Martin is a leader
  in Defense and Government Markets. Headquartered
  in Bethesda, Maryland, the corporation employs
  about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally
  engaged in the research, design, development,
  manufacture and integration of advanced
  technology systems, products and services.
• Firm-fixed price design contract value 9.5
  million

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Harris and Lockheed Martin Corporations will
compete to design a system to capture electronic
information, preserve it forever and make it
accessible to anyone, from any place, at anytime

• Each Contractor is required to produce an ERA
  System Design and Prototype and
  Demonstrationfor
• Records Disposition / Scheduling
• Template Management

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WhatChange Managementwill do for NARA and ERA

• Enable ERA to successfully achieve its goals
• Create awareness among ERA stakeholders
• Facilitate alignment between processes, people,
  and technology
• Allow the assimilation of stakeholders to the
  changes ERA brings

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Your Contact in the ERA Program Management Office
Fynnette Eaton [phone]
The ERA Website is http//www.archives.gov/electro
nic_records_archives/index.html
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We value yourQuestions!