Local Network Storage

Materials routinely copied or backed up to locally managed data storage facilities and able to be restored under institutional service arrangements.

Integrated Storage

Examples

Institutional or departmental network storage and institutional data centers based on technologies such as (NAS) Network Attached Storage, (SAN) Storage Area Networks, Gluster FS and related.

Imminence

2/5
Action is recommended within five years, and detailed assessment within three years.

Effort

1/5
Loss of material in this group could be entirely avoidable if provided the means to deploy proven tools and techniques.

Hazards

Encryption; lack of routine maintenance; lack of storage replication; over-dependence on a single supplier, technology or technician; insufficient documentation; single point of failure; political or commercial interference; failure of dependencies (e.g., power supply, controller software); overly aggressive compression; poor information security; lack of integrity-checking; lack of strategic investment; lack of warranty; unenforceable warranty, encryption; Uncertainty over IPR or the presence of orphaned works.

Complex Platforms

Mitigations

Backup to different technology; backup to diverse locations; documentation of assets; integrity checking; preservation planning; refreshment planning; export functionality; resilient to hacking; selection and appraisal criteria; version control; resilient funding; technology watch; enforceable warranty; disaster planning and documentation.

Bit List History

Added to list: 2019

2024: No change.

2023: No change.

Last Review

This entry was added in 2019 to ensure that the range of media storage is properly assessed and presented.

The 2023 Council agreed with the current Vulnerable classification with overall risks remaining on the same basis as before (‘No change’ to trend), while also noting a slight decrease in the effort needed to preserve and the imminence of action required when compared to the 2021 Jury review.

The 2024 Council agreed These risks remain on the same basis as before, with no significant trend towards even greater or reduced risk (‘No change’ to trend).

Additional Information

There has been a renewed interest in tape as offline storage is the only sure protection against advanced ransomware.

Case Studies & Examples

Storage, Digital Preservation Coalition (2016), Digital Preservation Handbook, 2nd Edition [accessed at 2023-10-24].

Keep Me Informed