What is migration?
In order to ensure the long-term accessibility of the digital publications stored in its e-Depot, the Koninklijke Bibliotheek is undertaking a study of storage strategies such as migration. In migration, information is transferred to a new software or hardware environment. The KB’s study concentrates on the migration of information from one file format to another. The advantage of migration is that a file can be offered to the future user in a way with which the user is familiar. A disadvantage is that in converting the original file to a target file, information can be lost. When periodic conversions take place the mistakes can mount up. So it is important that the migration strategy be skilfully used.
There are different forms of migration:
- eriodic update: Migration from one file format to a higher version of the same file format or from an outdated file format to a new current file format.
-Normalisation: The conversion of one file format to another file format that is regarded as permanent.
- Migration-on-request: Conversion made when a user requests the file.
Projects
In 2006 the Migration Research Project was carried out. Its purpose was to come to a better understanding of the possibilities, risks and consequences of migration. The project involved studying file formats that were to be migrated, the process of conversion and migration procedures. The project resulted in:
- The recommendation that e-Depot publications now in MS Office and WordPerfect format be normalised as PDF/A files.
- Increased knowledge of conversion software and the testing of such software.
- An international migration knowledge network.
Migration research project documentation
Startpunt Migratieonderzoek [Starting Point for Migration Research], July 2006
Werkdocument KB en Migratie [KB and Migration Work Document], August 2006
Testplan KB en Migratie v2 [KB and Migration Test Plan], November 2006
Samenvatting Rapportage T1 Migratie Test [Migration Test Report Summary T1], November 2006 (EN)
Samenvatting Rapportage T2 Migratie Test [Migration Test Report Summary T2], November 2006 (EN)
In June 2007 the Migration follow-up project was started. The goal of the current project is the implementation of a migration module within the e-Depot. A migration module consists of a standard module into which different conversion programs can be introduced, including a program to convert MS Office and WordPerfect to PDF/A. The KB has commissioned the development of the standard module. Several commercial software products are being tested for the conversion program. The knowledge network is also being expanded, and an exploratory study of migration-on-request is being carried out. The results are expected at the end of 2008.
Contact
Wouter Kool, wouter.kool@kb.nl, +31 70 3140 519
Caroline van Wijk, caroline.vanwijk@kb.nl, +31 70 3140 302