Preserving and Providing Access to Complex Objects PASIG Washington DC, 23 May, 2013 (Speaker Info) Frodo Baggins Ring Bearer FOTR, LLC Natasa Milic-Frayling Principal Researcher Microsoft Research

Overview Digital and Computation The nature of digital Technical Solution Designing computing environments for long life of digital Sustainability of Digital Economic factors that shape the digital ecosystem

Digital Assets and Computation designing an ecosystem for long life to digital

What is a Digital Object? Digital Object = FILE ?

ob·ject [n. ob-jikt, -jekt; v. uhb-jekt] anything that is visible or tangible and is relatively stable in form. a person or thing with reference to the impression made on the mind or the feeling or emotion elicited in an observer: an object of curiosity and pity. anything that may be apprehended intellectually: objects of thought. Computers. any item that can be individually selected or manipulated, as a picture, data file, or piece of text.

HTML Files + Browsers Even contemporary file formats suffer from inconsistency of content rendering across the readers.

Online discussion about enabling content production of online courses using Claro software.

Online discussion about enabling content production for online courses using Claro software. “Font type displays slightly larger on Windows Operating Systems. It may appear lighter in weight than on Mac Operating Systems. This is due to a difference in pixel rendering. Different browsers may have an impact on how the text displays. Firefox displays line height differently from other browsers. Font rendering differences may cause line breaks at different places. This may mean that a four line paragraph becomes five lines. Some browsers render pixels differently when anti-aliasing and kerning, and this can cause text to vary in weight as well.”

FILE DIGITAL ARTEFACT APPLICATION Persisted Ephemeral PRESERVATION = Persistence + Connection with the contemporary ecosystem. Persisted part of the digital artefact SOFTWARE – decoder Hardware to process and DISPLAY FILE – digital object DIGITAL ARTEFACT

Paradox: we are concerned about storage, yet Digital is inherently about processing bits, not about storing bits the latter is necessary but not sufficient to instantiate digital Even when persisted and preserved, digital is ephemeral only through computation can we experience digital.

What is the role of the file? 1.Application file holds the content that can be reused and modified across sessions and by other applications. This is the case with most content files. 2.Application file maintains the state of the application. Enables use across sessions (e.g., games). Two cases: 1.Application file holds the content to be reused and modified across computing sessions.

A reason why we should focus on files Reuse of files increase the value of digital! Files are used by multiple applications, not just the native application that created it. The value of the digital content extends with the use across applications. Converting legacy files increases the chance that multiple contemporary applications can use them.

Technical Solutions File Migration, Application Porting, Virtualization

Symbiosis of Files and Applications Objective of the preservation is to ensure that the persisted digital content and applications remain connected with the contemporary computing ecosystem. PRESERVATION = Persistence + Connection with the contemporary ecosystem. FILE DIGITAL ARTEFACT APPLICATION Persisted Ephemeral

Success criteria for preservation: Enable instantiation of files and programs in a way that preserves important aspects of the user experience (i.e., sensing and interaction) with the digital artefact. Additional criteria: Ensures sustainability of the preservation approach. Ensures value of the digital assets in the contemporary environment, i.e., support future re-use scenarios.

What do you want to keep ‘unchanged’? FILE DIGITAL ARTEFACT APPLICATION If application is not running in the contemporary environment

What do you want to keep ‘unchanged’? FILE DIGITAL ARTEFACT APPLICATION If application is not running in the contemporary environment –Migrate files and run with a contemporary software

What do you want to keep ‘unchanged’? FILE DIGITAL ARTEFACT APPLICATION If application is not running in the contemporary environment –Migrate files and run with a contemporary software –Retain the files and port the application to the new environment

What do you want to keep ‘unchanged’? FILE DIGITAL ARTEFACT APPLICATION If application is not running in the contemporary environment –Migrate files and run with a contemporary software –Retain the files and port the application to the new environment –Create a virtual machine with the old computing stack and run the original files and software.

VM solutions + Bridging Services Individual computational ‘cells’ for different generations of software stacks Computational Cradles Bridging services: format translators, content extractors, etc. Contemporary Computing Ecosystem VM-Gen1 VM-Gen2 VM-Gen3 VM-Gen4

Sustainability of Digital Where is the cost?

Position Vulnerability of digital is the ecosystem problem. It requires a solution at the ecosystem level.

Digital Technologies Value Chain ICT: SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE INNOVATION

COMPUTING TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY DIGITAL MEDIA CREATION AND CONSUMPTION DIGITAL MEDIA HOLDERS AND KEEPERS ICT: SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE INNOVATION Digital Technologies Value Chain

COMPUTING TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY DIGITAL MEDIA CREATION AND CONSUMPTION DIGITAL MEDIA HOLDERS AND KEEPERS ICT: SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE INNOVATION Digital Technologies Value Chain $$ Recovered R&D cost Licenses for tools and services Unspecified value in (un)foreseen future –$$$ Cost of sustaining digital $–$$$$$$ Value from produced content

Sustaining Computing Systems Any computing system requires service and maintenance (fixes and upgrades) There is no difference with the legacy systems

Connecting Legacy with Contemporary ICT: SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE INNOVATION Contemporary Ecosystem Bridging Technologies and Methods It is all possible, of course. It is “only” software! We just need TIME and MONEY.

20%

~20% of the System Cost

Cloud paradigm may provide the key Two scenarios Business models of technology providers leverage the value of content –Long term access to digital media becomes one of the primary drivers for innovation in the cloud We establish a market and effective development environment for creating ‘bridging’ technologies –Achieve economy of scale and establish standards for creating bridGing technologies through reuse.

Summary Preservation must consider ‘access’ access to digital = computation Preservation cost = cost of reliable storage + computation cost of computation = software development Sustainability depends on the cost of software development –Achieve economy of scale through cloud services and global market for software development components.

Thank you Natasa Milic-Frayling