KEEP Transfer Tools Framework Prototypes

The requirements for a Transfer Tool Framework were set out in deliverables D1.2a and D1.2b (collectively D1.2). However, as a result of the KEEP legal studies, it was not possible to achieve the original goals specified in D1.2 due to the legal constraints that apply to media transfer in a digital preservation context. These constraints are set out in D2.6 “A layman’s guide to the KEEP legal studies”, and for this reason the aim of delivering an integrated set of tools in a single standalone Transfer Tools Framework (TTF) has not been pursued. For the same reason no attempt has been made to provide functionality that can bypass, (or help to bypass) Technical Means of Protection applied to digital objects by rights holders. Similarly, the transfer tools considered for inclusion have been restricted to those which are available non-commercially and which permit wrapping without legal restriction. The difficulties that the legal studies posed have been addressed by following an alternative strategy which is described in full in deliverable D1.3 “Document presenting the state of media transfer services integration using the Planets interoperability framework ( OPF)”. First, a feasibility study (internal deliverable I1.3) was carried out to see whether it was possible to develop tools that could be used alongside the Planets Interoperability Framework (IF), now under the auspices of the Open Planets Foundation (OPF) and currently under development in the SCAPE project (SCalable Preservation Environments)1. Following a positive outcome of the feasibility study, D1.3 went on to show how to achieve the functionality of the TTF by developing a media transfer use case for the IF. D1.3 provides the schema for such a use case, and outlines what is needed from the media transfer workflow. D1.3 concludes by giving a list of future actions necessary for the completion of this workflow (page 15). The current deliverable, D1.4 continues from this point and delineates the components of the media transfer workflow. So, this document reports on the suite of application prototypes to facilitate the media transfer workflow, these corresponding to the WP1 workplan as set out in the DoW. A key prototype is the knowledge base, named the mediabase. This hosts expert knowledge about media carriers, image files, transfer tools and accompanying tests and draws on internal deliverables I1.1 and I1.2. The mediabase provides a rich source of knowledge about media transfer to users without previous knowledge in the area. The prototypes also incorporate java-wrapped transfer tools for floppy media, and for optical media. These tools enable users to generate image files from each of these two types of media carriers. Other tools in the suite provide an illustrative Graphical User Interface (GUI), and both html and xml activity report logging. The development of this suite follows the set of requirements and design specifications for a transfer tool framework integrating multiple transfer tools for the generation of image files from several media carriers, as described in the deliverable D1.2. Thus the present document provides a thorough description of the workflow used in this suite for achieving the principal functionality that was required to be delivered by the TTF. In addition the document presents in some detail the technical implementation strategies adopted in the different stages of this workflow for its successful execution.