DNA4.2 - Description of European Archiving Infrastructure

Abstract

This document provides a map of the existing and planned European infrastructure on data archive and dissemination, based on the experiences of various technical operators at both national and European level. These experiences have been collected over the period April 2008 to April 2009 via a webbased survey with call for participation sent via e-mail to several partners of the previous and current GMES and INSPIRE projects. The collected feedback has been integrated with the provided reference documentation and the information available in the relevant web sites. ES needs in terms of infrastructure have been analyzed and infrastructures and infrastructure projects have been identified so as to derive a description of the characteristics of the infrastructures of the coming years. This has enabled to assess GENESI-DR versus the current axes of development in infrastructures. The document also describes European and national digital repositories (archives) which have answered to the questionnaire in terms of:  Archive systems: archive backup and recovery systems; archive media in use (transcription systems and policy);  Access to archive via gateways: connection to high speed networks;  Contents of the archives (EO missions, duration, coverage and volume), data curation aspects and preparation to long term preservation, So as to derive the main characteristics of the current digital repositories. This document is an output of the work package TNA4.3. A first version was provided at milestone M10. It is now enriched by further collection of information, in particular about the DR integrated in GENESI-DR, and by general improvements to make clearer the approach of this document and the usefulness of the derived information.