NDSA:MetaArchive Gap Analysis
MetaArchive Gap Analysis
The following gap analysis is intended to self-describe the MetaArchive's orientation to the various Archive Interoperability models described in Section 6 of the OAIS Reference Model.
Independent Archive Comparison
Description of OAIS Section 6: Archive Interoperability on Independent Archives
MetaArchive Gap Analysis
The only minor distinction to make when comparing the MetaArchive model to the designations outlined in OAIS Section 6: Independent Archives is that the MetaArchive locates key preservation activities such as archival ingest, storage, and dissemination in a redundant fashion at each of our member sites who are also our Producers and eventually the Consumers of the data they contribute. An Independent Archive, on the other hand, strictly receives and preserves deposits on behalf of an external Producer(s) and makes master or derivative copies available to an external Consumer(s). No overlap exists with Archival Management.
Cooperating Archive Comparison
Description of OAIS Section 6: Archive Interoperability on Cooperating Archives
MetaArchive Gap Analysis
The distinction to make here when comparing the MetaArchive to the designations outlined in OAIS Section 6: Cooperating Archives is that the MetaArchive is a single archive that encapsulates a number of smaller archives that cooperate together through shared standards and protocols. But in our arrangement they could not individually carry out their preservation function in the absence of the archive they are cooperating with. In the Cooperating Archives model each individual archive is not mutually dependent upon the preservation activities of the archive(s) it is cooperating with.
Federated Archive Comparison
Description of OAIS Section 6: Archive Interoperability on Federated Archives
MetaArchive Gap Analysis
The distinction to make here when comparing the MetaArchive to the designations outlined in OAIS Section 6: Federated Archives is that the MetaArchive indeed is concerned with providing access to a set of repositories that may contain similar (or identical) copies of a single authoritative digital object. However, the MetaArchive is not concerned with providing ALL or even MANY Consumers with access to ALL or even MUCH Content Information, and it neutralizes the dilemma of ensuring the proper delivery of an “authentic” digital object by making sure that all copies aim to be as authentic as the original. We are a dark archive that is Consumer oriented – but only under conditions of collection loss.
Description of OAIS Section 6: Archive Interoperability on Archives with Shared Functional Areas
MetaArchive Gap Analysis
The distinction to make here when comparing the MetaArchive to the designations outlined in OAIS Section 6: Archives with Shared Functional Areas is that though the MetaArchive structure is very close to this approach it cannot easily be classified as an arrangement involving multiple independent archives serving different designated communities that have agreed to share common resources. Rather, the MetaArchive is a group of independent “institutions” that have organized themselves to make use of shared resources to build a SINGLE archive to serve different independent designated communities.