Micah Altman
Director of Research, Libraries
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
This presentation summarizes the lessons learned from trial audits of a several production distributed digital preservation networks. These audits were conducted using the open source SafeArchive system, which enables automated auditing of a selection of TRAC criteria related to replication and storage. An analysis of the trial audits demonstrates both the complexities of auditing modern replicated storage networks, and reveals common gaps between archival policy and practice. Recommendations for closing these gaps are discussed, as are extensions that have been added to the SafeArchive system to mitigate risks in distributed digital preservation (DDP).