Nara Research Institute catalogs archeological data with Optical Disc Archive
Sony has supported Japanese researchers with a secure long-term archive solution to store and manage data from the excavation of cultural artifacts.
- Institute required reliable solution to store large volumes of data from archeological research
- Needed simple system usable by non-IT experts
- Sony ODS-D280U Optical Disc Archive standalone drive
- Scalable solution will accommodate future growth in research data
- Back-up cartridges at remote location support disaster recovery strategy
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Our primary issue was finding a way to securely store data over a long term: usability and cost were also determining factors. Optical Disc Archive was the solution.
Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties
Building a lasting record of precious cultural artifacts
The Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties conducts around 8,000 archeological excavations and publishes approximately 1,500 survey reports every year. These research projects generate massive amounts of data, including 3D measurements of excavations and conservation science data. Securely preserving this accumulated information for very long periods of time is central to the institute’s academic studies.
Image: Mr. Yuichi Takata Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.
Dealing efficiently with a data explosion
Originally researchers used media such as paper and film for long-term storage of information, gradually giving way to digitally created excavation reports. In parallel with this, the arrival of high-definition digital cameras and 3D measurement techniques created ever-increasing volumes of survey data that needed to be preserved safely for very long periods of time.
This information was previously stored on a file server. However, server file size limits meant that researchers were forced to store their own 3D measurements and other large data files, leading to situations where the location of original high-resolution data was unknown. The institute had also experienced challenges with using magnetic tape that demanded high levels of staff IT literacy for staff to use successfully.
Image: The ODS-D280 drive unit can be used like PC peripherals.
Durable, dependable long-term data storage
To address these issues, Sony proposed a user-friendly long-term storage solution based on the ODS D280U Optical Disc Archive drive. Each removable cartridge can store data for more than 100 years, with the non-contact recording system ensuring very high reliability and durability. Optical Disc Archive offers highly cost-effective support for the institute’s archiving strategy, with ‘hot’ data (small frequently used files) stored on the file server and larger ‘cold’ data files transferred to Optical Disc Archive for long-term preservation.
Ready for every eventuality
The readily scalable archive system will allow the institute to accommodate further increases in data volumes anticipated in the future. Optical Disc Archive is also key to the institute’s disaster-recovery strategy, allowing duplicate disc cartridges to be safely stored off-site at a remote location in the event of the main site being hit by a serious natural disaster.
Image: Mr. Katsuya Watari Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.
