Preparing for Transfer

This page outlines the steps to take before transferring media objects.

• Locating and verifying carriers against SPEC records
• Removing non-digital archives carriers
  • Commercial software
  • AMI (addressed in completing transfer)
• Choosing transfer methods
• Setting up space to store files on RAID

Locating Carriers

• Carriers are located on shelving by the entrance door
• Carriers to be transferred are likely on 02.** shelves

Before a media object can be imaged it first must be recorded SPEC.

Verifying SPEC records

An acquisition record should exist in SPEC and SPEC object records should exist
for each carrier being transferred.

Verifying acquisition record exists in SPEC

• Use the Filemaker Pro desktop app or or web app to access SPEC
• Log in with your credentials
• Navigate to the bottom left of the screen
• Select Find/propose an acquisition under Acquisitions heading

Select to view image

• Enter acquisition number in the ID field or name in the Acquisition field

Select to view image

• Select search

Contact Collection Management if you cannot find the acquisition

Verifying object records exist in SPEC

• Select the acquisition from the list

Select to view image

• Note if there are any associated collections

Select to view image

• Navigate to the left side of the screen
• Note the number of items listed for Digital media under Extent Summary

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• Select format summary next to Extent Summary, the right most button

• Select digital media, mouseover text reads go to object records

Select to view image

• Confirm the number of carriers Digital Archives has match the object records

Select to view image

• Confirm the number of items listed for Digital media matches the object records
• Report mismatch of digital media summary and object records to Systems and Operations

Contact Collection Management if the number of carriers and records don’t match

Verifying additional carriers from Archival Processing

When archivists survey a collection they may find additional carriers in boxes.
Archivists should create object records for any carriers they find and notify
Digital Archives of their discovery.

• Verify objects records exist in SPEC

Contact the processing archivist if the number of carriers and records don’t match

Handling Commercial Software

These instructions are for Digital Preservation staff (including fellows) only.

• Label commercial software with a simple acquisition name.
  • Crouch for Stanley Crouch papers.
• Image commercial software only when specifically instructed to do so.
• Commercial software media don’t receive objects records.

When objects records were created for commercial software create an issue.

• Select issues from the object record menu in SPEC

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• Select Add Issue

Select to view image

• Select Type: Digital Media
• Enter Issue: Commercial Software

Select to view image

Choosing Transfer Methods

File transfer is the most common method of migrating files to more stable storage.
Disk imaging is done when an image is required to access files, usually for emulation
of legacy file types.

File transfer methods include:

• Rsync
• Bagit
• Mass Optical Disc File Transfer with Nimbie (creates bags and other transfer metadata)
• Cloud Transfer - Rclone
• FTK Imager File Export
• IsoBuster File Export

Disk Imaging methods include:

• Kryoflux Imaging
• FTK Imager
• dd

Choosing Transfer Method by Carrier

Digital Archives has a standard transfer method for most of the carrier types we
encounter. Generally, carriers will be transferred with the standard method unless
standard methods fail.

Carrier	Transfer
External Hard Drive	File Transfer
Internal Hard Drive	File Transfer
Thumb Drive	File Transfer
SD Card	File Transfer
Optical Media	Mass Optical Disc Transfer
Floppy Disk	Floppy Disk Imaging - Kryoflux
Iomega Disk	Iomega Disk Imaging - FTK Imager
Google Drive	Cloud File Transfer - Rclone

Verifying Storage Space

Before beginning transfer make sure Digital Archives Diskstation (DADS) has enough
space to store the transfers.

Working with WSL on Windows

Most work Digital Archives work is done on mac os machines. When working on Windows workstations WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) is used instead of Terminal. Storage locations may need to be mounted. To mount or re-mount a storage location:

• Start WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) by searching for Ubuntu or selecting the Ubuntu icon on the Windows task bar.

Note: If you search for WSL you may come across the WSL app with a penguin icon, this is an older version of WSL and NOT the version currently used by Digital Archives

• On opening the WSL terminal navigate to the mount point directory by entering cd /mnt

• Any mounted drives, such as those you are transferring between, should be accessible from the mount point directory. Drives you’ll see in /mnt include:
  • d - Sata Drive Bay
  • f - Storage for FTK
  • h - Open FTK cases
  • i - Codemeter access key
  • y - DigArchDiskStation
• If you do not see the Y:\ drive in /mnt or /mnt/y appears to be empty then it must be re-mounted by:
  • Changing to the top level directory by entering cd /
  • Entering the command sudo mount -t drvfs Y: /mnt/y
• Note: For a visual example of mounting a drive in WSL reference the following recording:

Creating Destination Directory Batches

While most transfer and imaging workflows use scripts that will create destination packages, there may be times when manually creating destination packages is needed. To manually create batches of destination directory packages:

• Open Terminal on Mac OS or WSL on Winodws

• Navigate to the destination for file transfers or disk images.
  • Using fileTransfers as an example enter $ cd /Volumes/DigArchDiskStation/Staging/ingest/fileTransfers
• Enter mkdir command.
  • mkdir -p ACQ_acqID/ACQ_acqID_{start..end}/{metadata,objects}