SDB is a fully functioned digital archival solution that has all the capabilities ready for immediate implementation. The following section introduces the key features, but please contact us to discuss these further.
Ingest
Tessella’s experience of delivering real digital archives has shown that problems with ingest are often the biggest obstacle to a successful archive programme. SDB ingest is flexible and expandable and intended to deliver as much automation as possible and as required.
The source of archival data can be a basic file system, a specific content store (records management, email, lab data, etc), a paper scanning programme, or an external FTP location. Content can arrive in the correct structure with metadata extracted from the source system, or may need assembling and describing using our Submission Builder tool to create ingest packages. Also, the metadata may need translating into the internal structure used by SDB using a simple XML transform. However the information arrives, SDB can be configured to efficiently accept it into the system.
The ingest workflows also contain decision making and approval workflows steps that can be configured or added to as required. Most importantly they also contain all the steps required to prepare the content for long term preservation. SDB automates this so you are ready to retain the information for the long term.
Data Management.
SDB manages all the data that describes the contents of the archive. The data structure is highly evolved and combines XIP, an advanced framework that captures the output of the EU PLANETS project, with descriptive data using a schema provided by the user. The XIP schema allows for complex hierarchies of collections and records with all the information required for digital preservation.
In addition SDB provides tools to manage this data. This includes schema transforms, metadata editing tools, content deletion and approval cycles. These tools are available via the provided user interface or via the API. Users can enhance these tools using data management workflows.
The metadata is held in a relational database. Most users choose Oracle for this task but others can be provided.
Storage
The data files in SDB are held in a commercially provided bulk storage system accessed via a storage adapter. This allows each user to select the most appropriate storage system for them, be it disk based, tiered disk-tape, or using the cloud, or indeed a combination of these. SDB has been provided with storage adapters to many different bulk storage systems including Sun-StorageTek, Windows disk storage, EMC Centera, and proprietary customer development systems.
SDB storage management system also provides a number of tools to provide continuous integrity checking to see if content has gone missing or been altered since accession into the system.
Access.
SDB includes a web based interface to allow users to browse the collection and search for content. The built-in search engine is the open source Lucene which may index the metadata and/or the content. Other search tools can be incorporated if required.
The user interface allows users to locate the content of interest, to review its metadata and to download the content of interest. Download may be direct for smaller packages or via a access workflow for high volume content that requires manual dispatch.
The Access interface also allows users to initiate other workflows, for example data management actions or digital preservation. These extra actions can be added by the user using our workflow software development kit and API.
It is also possible to build your own access portal using the API provided by SDB to search, browse and retrieve the content. Full documentation is provided.
Preservation Planning and Action.
SDB incorporates a full implementation of the Active Preservation activities described above. This includes an enhanced version of PRONOM and some standard file and record migration and characterisation tools. This allows the Preservation Action processes to be fully automated, a critical feature when migrating common file formats in large archives. Archivists can be warned about the problem migrations when the characteristics before and after are different, but the rest can run through with little intervention.
This capability sets SDB apart from other archiving solutions. New migrations can be added at any time and initiated to keep the information alive. Old files are not lost but are kept for reference. Complex structures where some files are migrated but others are not are possible and supported by the SDB data structures.
Administration.
SDB contains all the tools required to successfully operate the system. Security is implemented using defined roles plus an interface to a LDAP tool. Reporting uses the open source Jasper system allowing users to define their own reports. SDB also includes some live visual reporting tools, for example showing file formats and ingest rates.