Introduction
Database preservation is a challenge to many in the digital preservation community. Databases typically contain information of great value to institutions and companies and often the content must be preserved for strategic, legal or heritage reasons for the long term. Many institutions are facing challenges with preserving the content of databases as the software becomes obsolete, the production systems become bloated with legacy records or the lifecycle of the stored information reaches the point of archiving.
This online workshop with KEEP Solutions will allow participants to understand and explore a freely available open source toolkit for preserving databases. The two-day workshop will use a mixture of presentations, demos and case studies in the morning sessions, with each afternoon set aside for participants to work on a set of database preservation challenges on their own using the Database Preservation Toolkit (DBPTK). Support will be available remotely from the workshop facilitators during these practical sessions and questions, feedback and discussion will be encouraged..
-
The Database Preservation Toolkit refers to a set of tools for archiving relational databases in a long-term preservation format (SIARD), and for accessing, transforming, publishing and exporting preserved information. It enables the access, search and export of data saved in the SIARD file format on a Web or Desktop app, and the export to common formats that can be read in other applications.
-
SIARD (Software Independent Archiving of Relational Databases) was originally developed by the Swiss Federal Archives and later updated (version 2) in the EARK project by several European national archives and other institutions and companies. The SIARD format was designed to archive databases independently of vendors of database systems. It is based on the ZIP file, XML and the SQL:2008 standard. The SIARD specification is currently a Swiss standard (eCH-0165) and also a European guideline (see eArchiving standards).
-
The Database Preservation Toolkit supports the following Database Management Systems: MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Access, Progress OpenEdge, Sybase ASA, and other databases (using JDBC)
The workshop will help attendees:
-
Understand the SIARD standard for relational database archiving
-
Understand the significant properties of databases that can be archived using the DBPTK and the ones that aren't currently supported
-
Understand and use the DBPTK set of tools
-
Perform advanced transformations using the DBPTK Desktop
-
Understand how to apply the tools to their own use cases
Programme (please log in to watch recordings)
Day one - 29th July
09:50 - Workshop opens for informal chat and networking
10:00 - Welcome and introductions
10:20 - Database preservation archival workflows
10:45 - Introduction to the SIARD format
11:10 - Break
11:30 - Tools for database preservation
12:30 - Questions and discussion
13:00 - Lunch
14:00 - Introduction to the practical session
14:30 - Participants to work on exercises on their own with support available when needed
15:30 - Check in point
16:30 - Demonstration of exercises and feedback
17:00 - Close
Day two - 30th July
09:50 - Workshop opens for informal chat and networking
10:00 - Welcome
10:05 - DBPTK advanced features
10:35 - Demonstration of advanced features
11:05 - Break
11:25 - Real-world use-cases
12:15 - Questions and discussion
12:45 - Lunch
13:45 - Introduction to the practical session (advanced)
14:15 - Participants to work on exercises on their own with support available when needed
15:15 - Check in point
16:00 - Demonstration of exercises and feedback
16:30 - Discussion and next steps
17:00 - Close
Trainers
Luís Faria
Luís Faria, Research and Innovation Director at KEEP SOLUTIONS, has worked for the last 15 years in research and development of solutions for digital preservation and information management. He has a PhD in Computer Science with specialization in Digital Preservation from the University of Minho and has a degree in Computer Science at the same University in 2005. He has participated in several research and development projects in the area of digital preservation, such as SCAPE, E-ARK, 4C and VeraPDF. He is co-author of preservation formats specifications SIARD 2 and EARK IP, and is manager of the open-source project RODA and Database Preservation Toolkit (DBPTK).
Miguel Guimarães
Miguel Guimarães, Computer analyst at KEEP SOLUTIONS, has worked the last year on the development of solutions for digital preservation and information management. He has an MSc in Informatics Engineering from the University of Minho, and completed a degree in Computer Science at the same University in 2012. He has been working under the supervision of Luís Faria on the open-source Database Preservation Toolkit (DBPTK).
DPC Inclusion and Diversity Policy
The DPC Community is guided by the values set out in our Strategic Plan and aims to be respectful, welcoming, inclusive and transparent. It encourages diversity in all its forms and is committed to being accessible to everyone who wishes to engage with the topic of digital preservation. The DPC asks all those who are part of this community and/or attending a DPC event be positive, accepting, and sensitive to the needs and feelings of others in alignment with our DPC Inclusion & Diversity Policy .
This event is being hosted in conjunction with The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).