This document summarizes ICPSR's efforts to transition its archive from tape to disk storage between 2006-2008. It describes ICPSR's mission to collect and preserve social science data. In 2006, ICPSR digitally preserved objects on tape but lacked automation. A new plan automated processes, moved all digital content from tape to disk by 2007, and discarded unnecessary paper records. This transition reduced costs while improving access and preservation for ICPSR staff. While progress was made, further work is still needed on a proper digital preservation system and long-term storage of larger digital objects and restricted-access materials.

1. Moving an Archive from Tape to Disk
A Case Study at ICPSR
IASSIST 2008
Stanford University
Bryan Beecher
IT Director
ICPSR

2. Overview of today’s talk
• Where we were
 Background info
 Digital Preservation @ ICPSR in 2006
• Where we went
 Digital objects
 Physical objects
• Where we want to go
 Fedora
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3. What is ICPSR?
• Collect digital objects – primarily
social science data
• Add value to the objects
• Preserve and disseminate
• Other programs too
 Summer Program in Quantitative
Methods
 Digital Preservation workshop
• Clients
 Higher-education
 Data producers who don’t want to
preserve or disseminate
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4. A peak inside ICPSR
• Computer & Network Services
 ICPSR’s technology shop
 System and network management
 Software, service, and database development
• Data Library
 Manage off-line storage of digital objects
 Manage off-site collection of paper records
 Service staff requests for digital and physical objects
• Historically had little interaction
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5. DigiPres at ICPSR in 2006
• The Good • The Bad
 Two copies of each digital  Using low-density tape for
object; one off-site archival storage
 Metadata stored in a  Metadata not stored with
relational database the objects
 Stable processes  Manual processes
 Large collection of “old  Large collection of “old
stuff” (paper records and stuff” (paper records and
media) media)
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6. DigiPres at ICPSR in 2006
• September 2006
 ICPSR hires its first Digital
Preservation Officer
• Nancy McGovern
 Data Library team joins
Computer & Network
Services
• DPO sets policies
• The newly expanded CNS
implements those policies
and operates the technology
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7. Policy changes
• Do NOT need to preserve original media
 Preservation commitment is to the intellectual content
 Media is only a container holding that content
• Do NOT need to preserve paper records except
where there is value
• Do need a digital copy outside of Ann Arbor
• Do need to collect key metadata about deposits
 Provenance
 Digital fingerprints
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8. The Plan
• Track service requests via help desk software
 Who’s asking for materials?
 How many requests for digital materials v. paper v both?
 How many requests each month?
• Wherever possible automate digital preservation
operations
 Completeness and correctness increases
 Staff become available for retrospective projects
 Also automate ICPSR staff access to materials
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9. The Plan (more)
• Transition ALL digital content from tape to disk
 A copy on tape too is OK, but not primary copies
• Expensive to access
• Difficult to tell if copy A and copy B are in sync
• Discard extraneous administrative documents
 Just the “low hanging fruit”
• Turn over remaining documents to records
management professionals
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10. Interlude - Comcast
• An Internet connection at the Warehouse would be
very helpful
 Access to databases, Intranet
• Thought we might purchase a broadband connect
• We started with Comcast….
 Comcast: “We’ll need to include an installation surcharge
to cover a few extra installation costs.”
 ICPSR: “How much?”
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11. Our reaction
• Comcast: “Thirty-two
thousand dollars.”
• ICPSR: “Uh, no.”
• The Warehouse now has an
AT&T DSL connection
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12. Execution – moving to disk
• DLT tape - bulk of our content – approx 275 unique
 Two copies of each tape
• ICPSR HQ
• The Warehouse
 Each tape holds up to 20Gb to 40Gb
• During Feb – Jun 2007 ICPSR moved the content of
these tapes to spinning disk
• Starting in Jan 2007 ICPSR stopped using DLT tape
for archival storage
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13. Execution – moving to disk
• Approx 5TB of unique content across all tapes
• How many copies?
 (1) ICPSR – on-line
 (1) ICPSR – off-line
 (1-3) Chronopolis (SDSC, NCAR, UMd)
 (2) IU HPSS
 (0-5) LOCKSS-based, NDIIPP-funded syndicated storage
 More?
• Intending to destroy the DLT media at end of 2008
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14. Execution – moving to disk
• Also have 2000 cartridge (3480) and 9-track tapes
• Have been reading 50/week for many months now;
will finish these before the end of 2008
 High success rate for reading (> 80%)
• Also had a stash of over 10k tapes that had already
been migrated, but not discarded
 For this we used extra special, extra gentle treatment……
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15. Carefully removing the tapes
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16. Who ya gonna call?
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17. Before the harvest
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18. After the harvest
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19. Costs - media
Numbers are in thousands
40
30
20
10 Were
0 Now
Master Backup Media
copy per copy per mgmt
TB TB
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20. Costs – media (notes)
• Were spending approx
 $2000/TB/copy on DLT tape
 $65k/year staff to read, write, migrate and manage tapes
• Now spending approx
 $2000/TB/copy for “expensive” SATA disk in our EMC
 $100/TB/copy for LTO-3 tape
 $0/TB/copy for off-site, on-line copies with our friends
 Staff cost for plain old file and tape management can live on
the margins
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21. Execution – paper documents
• Stored at the Warehouse
• 3200 sq ft facility located near Ann Arbor airport
 2500 sq ft manufacturing space
 600 sq ft of office space (the three “Front Rooms”)
 100 sq ft of kitchette, rest room
• $35k year for rent; $5k for utilities
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22. Bird’s eye – 1 of 3
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23. Bird’s eye – panning right
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24. Bird’s eye – panning right
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25. Execution – paper documents
• Phase I (“clean up”)
 Identify, gather and recycle paper with no archival value
• File listings
• Census 2000
 Completed in 2007; recycled 40 cubic yards
• Phase II (“clean out”)
 Consolidate Administrative and Archival materials into an
acid-free folder stored in an archival quality box
 In progress; expect to complete by the end of August 2008
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26. Costs – paper documents
Numbers are in thousands
$200
$150
$100 Current
$50 Planned
$0
Storage & Retrieval & Supplies &
Management Returns Misc
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27. Execution – automation
• Digital Object Database
 Database of metadata about every identified file in the
archives
• Digital fingerprint
• Location
• Source
• Plugged into our ingest system and our
dissemination system
• Powers some really useful tools…
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28. Execution – automation
• Goodies for ICPSR staff
 Download page has extra knob to view ALL files
 Intranet tools that link
• Internal Study Tracking System
• Public-facing study download system
• Private-facing digital preservation system
• Immediate and direct access to all digital objects
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29. Looking forward
• Lots of good progress so far…
 Better access for ICPSR staff
 More robust preservation
 Reduced costs
• But does the IT guy ever give up $ once he gets it?
• But not done yet
 Still need a “proper” digital preservation system
• Fedora
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30. Looking forward (continued)
• Long-term, off-site, on-line copies
 Heavily subsidized today
 What about the future costs?
• What if we start preserving and disseminating much
larger digital objects?
• Restricted-access materials
 Balancing good preservation v. securing sensitive data
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31. Digital Preservation web site
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32. Questions?
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