Persistent Digital Archives and Library System PeDALS

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Persistent Digital Archives and Library System
(PeDALS)

• SC Department of Archives and History

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What is PeDALS?

• A grant-funded multi-state project financed by
  the Library of Congress and the Institute for
  Museum and Library Services
• Includes five state partners Arizona, Florida,
  New York, Wisconsin, and South Carolina, with
  Arizona as the lead partner
• Project will run 18-24 months if successful,
  SCDAH intends to continue participation beyond
  this period
• At the end of the project each partner will have
  a functioning digital archives system

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Why is PeDALS Needed?

• An increasing number of state government records
  of long-term value are created and maintained
  only in digital formats
• Due to the large and increasing volume of digital
  records in varied formats, traditional appraisal
  and acquisition practices are no longer
  effectivean automated, rules-based system like
  PeDALS is one possible response to this new
  reality
• To this point, SCDAH has not had the staffing and
  technical infrastructure to address archival
  electronic records in a meaningful way
• PeDALS is both a learning opportunity and a
  chance to implement a functioning system

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Goals of the Project

• Develop a methodology to support an automated,
  integrated workflow to process collections of
  digital records
• Implement an inexpensive storage system that can
  preserve the integrity and authenticity of
  digital records over time
• Remove barriers to adoption by keeping costs of
  the system as low as possible

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The Open Archival Information System (OAIS)
Reference Model

• OAIS an international (ISO) standard
• Defines minimal set of responsibilities for an
  archives to be called an OAIS
• Can be applied to any information or object that
  needs to be retained long-term
• OAIS does not specify a specific design or
  implementation

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View of an OAIS Environment
OAIS (Archives)
Producer
Consumer
Management
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OAIS Functional Areas

• Ingest
• Archival storage
• Data management
• Administration
• Preservation planning
• Access

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PeDALS Open Archival Information System (OAIS)
Network Architecture
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PeDALS Network Architecture

• Agency records in an electronic records system
  are transferred via the Internet to the PeDALS
  system
• Supplemental processing checks for file integrity
  and completeness prior to transfer

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PeDALS Network Architecture

• Agency records with associated metadata are
  transferred to middleware server
• Rules-based software will transform records into
  format for long-term storage along with a copy
  for web access

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PeDALS Network Architecture

• Records are transferred into LOCKSS servers for
  long-term preservation
• LOCKSS is a sophisticated data storage system
  that scans for and repairs file corruption and
  other data integrity problems
• Hardened firewalls and geographic distribution
  provide added security

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PeDALS Network Architecture

• Web server will provide Internet access to
  records through a web-based search interface
• Access to records restricted by statute or
  otherwise will be blocked during restriction
  period
• Records scheduled for transfer, but not access,
  are held in the digital archive, but no user copy
  is sent to the web server until public access is
  allowed

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Records Eligible for PeDALS

• Permanently valuable electronic records that have
  been designated for transfer to the SCDAH through
  the retention scheduling process
• The pilot project will include four agencies and
  four record series from each state partner
• -Judicial Department Supreme Court Case
  Files
• -Election Commission Voter Registration
  Master
• files
• -Public Service Commission - Orders
• -DHEC Electronic Index to Death
  Certificates

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Project Status

• Core metadata defined and draft of data
  dictionary completed
• Final system architecture design completed
• All hardware and software acquired, installation
  in progress
• Agency partners and records identified

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On the Horizon

• System configuration
• Other states purchase and configure hardware
  software
• BizTalk middleware training
• First ingest of records late fall or early winter
• Develop public search website