Disk Image Formats

Introduction

Harvard Library collections include a variety of computer media that will be imaged using forensic disk imaging techniques and preserved in the Library’s preservation and access repository - the Digital Repository Service (DRS). As a first step towards providing support for this material in the DRS, the Library contracted AVPreserve in late 2015 to assist with the analysis. The goals of the analysis were:

• Recommended disk image formats to accept and prefer for the DRS
• Recommended technical metadata schema(s) to use for disk image file formats
• DRS content models for these objects
• Recommendations for enhancing Harvard Library’s FITS tool to better support these objects

The driving principles of this work were to:

• Provide interoperability with the existing metadata schemas and workflows of the DRS
• Provide sufficient metadata for long-term preservation of forensic disk image objects
• Adhere to existing standards where possible
• Propose simpler models over more complex ones where possible
  
  

Specifically the analysis was conducted in three areas: formats, metadata and tools. The work is ongoing. The deliverables from this analysis are included on this page.

Format Analysis

Metadata Analysis

Tool Analysis and Testing

Other Resources