FOCUS – Format Curation Service

1. FOCUS – Format Curation Service Joseph JaJa, Muluwork Geremew, Sangchul Song, Mike McGann, Mike Smorul Overview: Digital file formats encode information into a form, which can only be accessed and processed by specific combinations of application and systems software. Our Goal: Development of an efficient, scalable and platform independent prototype of a Global Digital Format Registry (GDFR) to enable the tracking and handling of format obsolescence. • FOCUS Service Workflow: • Client contacts FOCUS with a digital object of unknown format. • Identification Service of FOCUS returns the format ID. • Client requests FOCUS available services such as validation, rendering, editing or conversion for given format ID. • FOCUS invokes services/applications to perform the processes or provides the client with the available information on the requested service. High Level Architecture of FOCUS Conversion Software • Past Approaches: • Standardization to a Few Common Formats • Migration • Emulation • Our Approach Implements a GDFR: • Global Digital Format Registry (GDFR): Based on an international effort to maintain persistent, unambiguous binding between public identifiers and the significant syntactic and semantic properties of the formats. • FOCUS: Captures all the essential features of GDFR, and offers flexible framework for incorporating advances of the past approaches. • Design Philosophy: • Our prototype is based upon open standards and mature web technologies.*LDAP – used to service data in FOCUS*SOAP – provides access to related services. Web Service Agent Global Digital Format Registry Format Inquiry Rendering Software Client Validation Software Identification Module DIGARCH PROJECT: Robust Technologies for Automated Ingestion and Long-Term Preservation of Digital Information PI: Joseph JaJa