I believe that EPrints stores a checksum value for each uploaded file, but as far as I understand, there is no way to monitor if the checksums match up with current file, and thus no way of checking for bit rot. 

DSpace has the following: https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/DSDOC6x/Validating+CheckSums+of+Bitstreams

 

A periodic fixity check is a part of the lowest level of support for digital preservation, i.e., “Bit-level”.  See some examples of Digital Preservation policy, all of which have some variation on this as a requirement:“regularly audit checksums to ensure that no files have corrupted or changed in any way. This practice ensures the ability to provide an exact copy of original files over time”:

·         https://www.sfu.ca/content/dam/sfu/archives/DigitalPreservation/FormatPolicyRegistry.pdf “Regularly perform fixity checks on AIPs”

·         https://digital.library.yorku.ca/documentation/fixity-procedures “York University Library are committed to maintaining the integrity of objects in its care. This includes creating checksums for all archival format objects -- plus associated datastreams -- ingested into the repository, and regular fixity checking of those objects”

·         https://researchworks.lib.washington.edu/policy-preservation.html "Maintains the authenticity of the bitstream through integrity checking”

 

I understand that EPrints is primarily an open access platform, but I think that we should be able to provide at least the lowest “bit-level” digital preservation support with it, and without a Fixity check, I don’t think we can ensure that no files are corrupted or changed over time.

 

Preservation Metadata for Institutional Repositories, a report looking at EPrints and digital preservation dating back to 2007 states the following about Fixity checking “Where is fixity check first performed? Not within EPrints currently, but a script that crawls the archive comparing files with checksums is possible”.  We are now 10 years later, and I am wondering if and how institutions running EPrints are implementing their Fixity checks? Are you using an external tool like this: https://www.avpreserve.com/tools/fixity/? Are you using your own custom script?  Did you develop something that is integrated with the EPrints Admin interface?

 

Best wishes,

Tomasz

 

 

 

 

________________________________________________

Tomasz Neugebauer
Digital Projects & Systems Development Librarian / Bibliothécaire des Projets Numériques & Développement de Systèmes
Library / Bibliothèque
Concordia University / Université Concordia

Tel. / Tél. 514-848-2424 ext. / poste 7738
Email / courriel: tomasz.neugebauer@concordia.ca

Mailing address / adresse postale: 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W., LB-540-03, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8
Street address / adresse municipale: 1400 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W., LB-540-03, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8

http://library.concordia.ca
http://www.concordia.ca/faculty/tomasz-neugebauer.html