ISO 14721:2025 · OAIS · PREMIS 3.0 · ISO 16363

Digital PreservationSimulator · OAIS Model

Functional entities · Information packages · Migration strategies · PDI metadata

Jhon González Digital Archivist
Six Functional Entities — ISO 14721:2025 Section 4.1
Click any entity to view its evaluation criteria and expected maturity level. The OAIS model is the international reference framework for any trustworthy digital repository — adopted identically by ISO, CCSDS, and national archives worldwide.
📥
Ingest
Accepts SIPs from Producers
generates AIPs, ensures quality
LEVEL 3 — DEFINED
🗄
Archival Storage
Stores, maintains and retrieves
AIPs over the long term
LEVEL 4 — MANAGED
🏷
Data Management
Descriptive and administrative
metadata management
LEVEL 2 — REPEATABLE
⚙
Administration
Policies, agreements, audits
and succession planning
LEVEL 2 — REPEATABLE
🔭
Preservation Planning
Technology watch
and migration planning
LEVEL 1 — INITIAL
🌐
Access
DIPs, finding aids
Designated Community
LEVEL 3 — DEFINED

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    Mandatory OAIS Responsibilities — ISO 14721:2025 Section 3.1
    #ResponsibilityStandard ref.Status
    1Negotiate and accept appropriate information from ProducersISO 14721 §3.1.1Partial
    2Obtain sufficient control to ensure Long-Term PreservationISO 14721 §3.1.2Compliant
    3Determine and define the Designated Community and its Knowledge BaseISO 14721 §3.1.3Non-compliant
    4Ensure that the information is Independently UnderstandableISO 14721 §3.1.4Partial
    5Follow documented policies and procedures — no ad-hoc deletionsISO 14721 §3.1.5Partial
    6Make information available to the Designated Community with Authenticity evidenceISO 14721 §3.1.6Compliant
    OAIS Maturity Scale — ISO 16363
    LEVEL 0
    Non-existent
    No related practice exists for this functional entity.
    LEVEL 1
    Initial
    Ad-hoc practices, no documentation or formal systematisation.
    LEVEL 2
    Repeatable
    Basic processes identified; inconsistent application across units.
    LEVEL 3
    Defined
    Documented processes, formal policies, systematic application.
    LEVEL 4
    Managed
    Performance metrics, continuous monitoring, controlled improvement.
    LEVEL 5
    Optimised
    Continuous improvement, external benchmarking, ISO 16363 certification.
    Information Package Flow — ISO 14721:2025 Section 2.2
    🏢
    PRODUCER
    SIP · PIT
    Submission
    🏛 OAIS
    Digital Repository
    AIP · PIA
    Archive
    DIP · PID
    Dissemination
    👤
    CONSUMER
    📦 Click on a package to explore its components
    The three packages (SIP, AIP, DIP) are the backbone of the OAIS model. Each has a distinct structure, content, and purpose as defined in ISO 14721:2025 Section 2.2.
    Preservation Description Information (PDI) — 5 Mandatory Categories
    📜
    Provenance
    History and origin of the digital object
    🔖
    Reference
    Unique and persistent identifiers
    🔐
    Fixity
    Checksums, CRC, digital signatures
    🕸
    Context
    Relationships with other objects and processes
    ⚖
    Access Rights
    Restrictions, licences and conditions
    —
    Recommended formats by role — Preservation vs. Access
    MASTER
    TIFF
    ISO 12234 · FADGI · Metamorfoze
    Lossless raster image. Master format for digitisation projects. Preserves all pixel data without destructive compression.
    MASTER · ACCESS
    PDF/A
    ISO 19005-1/2/3
    Self-contained, software-independent. International preservation standard for electronic records with legal and probative value.
    PRESERVATION
    PDF/A-3
    ISO 19005-3
    Allows embedding native attachments inside PDF/A. Ideal for mixed records packages with XML, structured data, or hybrid files.
    ACCESS
    JPEG2000
    ISO/IEC 15444
    Configurable lossy or lossless compression. Access derivatives for high-resolution image collections (libraries, archives, museums).
    METADATA
    XML / PREMIS
    ISO 23081 · PREMIS 3.0
    Structured preservation metadata. Documents events, agents, rights and relationships of the digital object across its lifecycle.
    AVOID
    JPEG / DOC / XLS
    No preservation standard
    Proprietary or lossy formats. Not suitable as preservation masters. Require immediate migration to open, standards-based formats.
    Ingest Simulator — Functional Entity 1 · ISO 14721
    Configure SIP (Submission Information Package)
    Digital object type
    Object format
    No. of objects 50
    Submission Agreement signed
    Quality assurance (QA) check
    PREMIS metadata included
    SHA-256 checksum
    Convert to preservation format
    Process log — OAIS Ingest
    Ready to start0%
    The log will appear here when the ingest process starts…
    Standards activated in this process
    ISO 14721 OAIS ISO 19005 PDF/A PREMIS 3.0 ISO 23081 ISO 15489 ISO 16363
    Digital Migration Strategies — ISO 14721:2025 Section 5
    Select a strategy to explore its description, risk level and conditions of application. The wrong choice can compromise the authenticity of digital objects — a critical concern for legal and archival repositories.
    🔁 Refreshment
    Replaces a storage media instance without altering any bits. The digital object remains bit-for-bit identical. Lowest risk migration type.
    LOW RISK
    📋 Replication
    Exact copy of the AIP without any alteration. Implements the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, 2 different media types, 1 offsite location.
    LOW RISK
    📦 Repackaging
    Alters the Packaging Information of the AIP without modifying the Content Information. Requires PREMIS event documentation.
    MEDIUM RISK
    ⚗ Transformation
    Alters the Content Information or the PDI. Requires authenticity validation, exhaustive documentation and institutional approval.
    HIGH RISK
    Format Migration Simulator
    Source format (obsolete)
    Target format (preservation)
    File volume 500
    Validate with JHOVE
    Generate post-migration checksums
    Record PREMIS migration event
    Migration log
    Ready to migrate0%
    The migration log will appear here…
    Integrity Verification — Checksums & PREMIS
    Fixity is one of the 5 mandatory PDI categories (ISO 14721:2025). Without periodic checksum verification, no repository can guarantee the authenticity of its objects. This is a core requirement for ISO 16363 certification.
    Generated PREMIS event
    Click "Generate PREMIS event" to see the resulting XML…
    The 3-2-1 backup rule
    3 — Three copies of the object
    1 production copy + 2 backup copies. No copy is "the original" — all are equal replicas.
    2 — Two different media types
    Hard disk + magnetic tape, or on-premises server + cloud. Different manufacturers and technologies.
    1 — One copy offsite
    Different geographic location. Protects against physical disasters: fire, flood, earthquake, theft.
    Supported integrity algorithms
    AlgorithmLengthRecommended use
    SHA-256256 bitsCurrent standard for digital preservation. Recommended by PREMIS, OAIS, and Library of Congress.
    SHA-512512 bitsHigher security for critical collections. Used in ISO 16363-certified repositories worldwide.
    MD5128 bitsLegacy — acceptable for error detection only. Not suitable for security. Known collision vulnerabilities.
    CRC-3232 bitsTransmission error detection only. Insufficient for long-term preservation assurance.
    Digital Preservation Risk Matrix — ISO 21946
    RiskOAIS entity affectedLikelihoodImpactLevelMitigation
    Format obsolescence
    Proprietary formats with no renderer    		 Preservation Planning · Archival Storage HIGH CRITICAL HIGH Migrate to PDF/A, TIFF, XML. Continuous technology watch programme.
    Bit rot
    Silent degradation on storage media    		 Archival Storage MEDIUM CRITICAL HIGH Periodic SHA-256 checksum verification. 3-2-1 backup rule strictly applied.
    Missing PDI metadata
    Objects without context or provenance    		 Data Management · Ingest HIGH CRITICAL HIGH Implement PREMIS + ISO 23081 metadata schema at ingest. Mandatory fields enforced.
    Hardware failure / disaster
    Fire, flood, disk failure, power loss    		 Archival Storage · Administration MEDIUM CRITICAL HIGH Documented and tested BCP/DRP. Geographically distributed copies. Regular DR tests.
    No preservation policy
    Ad-hoc decisions, no governance    		 Administration HIGH MAJOR HIGH Approve institutional preservation policy. Appoint formal preservation officer with defined role.
    Cyberattack / ransomware
    Encryption or malicious destruction    		 Archival Storage · Administration MEDIUM CRITICAL HIGH ISO 27001 controls. Immutable offline backups. Network segmentation. Air-gap copies.
    Undefined Designated Community
    No documented Knowledge Base    		 Access · Preservation Planning HIGH MAJOR MEDIUM Define user profiles. Document Knowledge Base. Review periodically as community evolves.
    Loss of archival context
    Images without relationship to process    		 Ingest · Data Management MEDIUM MAJOR MEDIUM Integrate digitisation with ERMS/EDMS. Mandatory context metadata at ingest.
    Single vendor dependency
    Vendor lock-in (software or cloud)    		 Administration · Preservation Planning MEDIUM MAJOR MEDIUM Open formats mandatory. Exit clauses in contracts. Interoperability with E-ARK, BagIt, OAIS standards.