Use Cases - E-Ark Project

Use Case 1.1: Search & Select records

cdpa@btinternet.com (David Anderson) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:53:46 +0000

This use case was used to illustrate how an end-user could get information about archival records. The search can be run by using the Archive’s Finding Aid or an EARK‐tool. It is the local Archive’s policy that determines when a user is required to log in, but it will probably be required from the moment an end-user wants to search data. The 'order' basket is well known from web-shops, but it has low priority here. The use case ends when the user has identified desired information objects or an item which can be automatically accessed. No order creation is needed in the latter case.

Search in descriptive metadata and data

Use Case 1.2

cdpa@btinternet.com (David Anderson) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:53:46 +0000

This use case starts when the end-user has identified the IPs with the required information and the IP cannot be accessed automatically from the Search tool / Finding Aid. This use case illustrated a process with an 'order basket' similar to a web shop, but this has low priority. Instead, the end-user can be asked to complete an order form with data about the user, IP and special requests. The most important part of this use case is the output: an xml-file (order.xml) with all data necessary to process the order.

Search in descriptive metadata and data

Use Case 1.2.1: Manage Order (Issue Order)

cdpa@btinternet.com (David Anderson) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:53:46 +0000

This use case was used to illustrate an example of an end-user wanting to identify where (and how) they could get information about archival records. The search can be run by using the Archive’s Finding Aid or an E-ARK-tool.

It is the local Archive’s policy that determines when a user is required to log in, but it will probably be required from the moment an end-user wants to search data. The 'order basket' is well known from web-shops, but it has low priority here. The use case ends when the user has identified desired information objects or an item which can be automatically accessed. No order creation is needed in the latter case.

Issue Order

Use Case 1.2.2: Manage Order (Validate Order)

cdpa@btinternet.com (David Anderson) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:53:46 +0000

This use case starts when an order has been submitted from an end-user to the archive. The main purpose is to evaluate the user’s access rights. It is difficult to outline a generic process and to automate it because national legislations and Archives’ policies differ. It is assumed that this process is succeeded by the process “Prepare DIP”, but it can just as well be the other way round; or the processes may occur simultaneously.

The main point is that the xml-file with order data is updated with the user’s authorization to access the ordered IP(s)

Validate Order

Use case 2.2: Check DIP availability and suitability

cdpa@btinternet.com (David Anderson) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:53:46 +0000

This use case starts when an order has been submitted from an end-user to the archive, and the main purpose is to check if an appropriate DIP already exists. It is assumed that this process is preceded by the ‘Validate Order’ process, but it can just as well be the other way round; or the processes may occur simultaneously.

The process may be automated to a certain degree. It depends on archival policies, local repositories, the level of access to these, the correctness and level of detail in the end-user’s order, and on the complexity of the ordered DIPs.

Check DIP availability and suitability

Use case 2.3: Creating DIP from AIP

cdpa@btinternet.com (David Anderson) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:53:46 +0000

Normal behaviour: If DIPs are not available or not suitable the process of creating DIPs from AIPs can be initiated either:

• automatically by the order management system (given that no existing DIP is available and authorisations do not need to be checked)

• manually by the archivist following a suitability check and/or authorisation check.

The use case continues with one of the following two alternatives:

(1) the order system passes the request “create DIP from AIP X in format Y” to the preservation system. The preservation system has an access workflow implemented which takes the original AIP X, normalises the content/object into format Y, packages it as an E-ARK DIP and returns it to the order system.

Technically the AIP2DIP Tool is used as a workflow step in the preservation system.

(2) the order system asks the archival management system to “give me AIP X”. The preservation system returns the AIP and the order system (automatically) or the archivist (manually) reformats the content/object and packages it into the DIP format.

Technically the AIP2DIP Tool is used as a stand-alone tool or component of the order management system.

Use case 2.5: Finalization of DIP

cdpa@btinternet.com (David Anderson) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:53:46 +0000

This use case was part of the order management process. The preconditions were that a suitable DIP was available (Use case 2.3: Creating DIP from AIP), and that it was recorded in the order.xml file that modification was needed, either to fulfil the end-user’s specific wishes or to meet the conditions for the end-user’s access authorisation. The result of the use case was a DIP ready to be delivered to the end-user.

Use case 2.5.1: Modify DIP for databases

cdpa@btinternet.com (David Anderson) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:53:46 +0000

This use case is complicated because content and structure has to be analysed in order to create search forms that can be used to retrieve the desired information in the database - see Use Case 3.4.1: Database & EDRM-system. If a tool for a scenario as described in Use case 3.4.4: Analyze with OLAP is developed, the archivist will probably use that for the required modification.

It is difficult to foresee the kind of modification needed. If the DIP is modified to fulfil end-users’ wishes, it may be necessary to create one or more search forms, or to extract specific data according to the order. If the DIP is modified to meet the conditions of access, it may be necessary to reduce the dataset by removing database records, by removing tables, or by removing fields in tables. It may also be necessary to depersonalise records.

If the DIP consists of data from more than one AIP, it can be time consuming to merge the databases and the documents.

Modify DIP for Databases

Use case 2.5.2: Modify DIP for single records

cdpa@btinternet.com (David Anderson) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:53:46 +0000

The modification of DIPs with single records is in principle the same as for databases, but far less complicated. It is assumed that the modification is done with external tools like Acrobat Reader for PDF files. Modification can consist in for example anonymization. For this reason, no description table of the below figure has been created.

Modify DIP for single records

Use case 2.5.3: DIP - GIS content

cdpa@btinternet.com (David Anderson) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:53:46 +0000

This use case must be seen in connection with the Use case 3.4.3: Search in GIS data for presentation of GIS content to the user.

Version 1: Removal of contents is needed:

• end-user orders certain layers and a DIP0 is created from AIP

• part of the DIP0 content is removed by the archivist; the event is logged in DIP PREMIS metadata

• the archivist confirms that DIPu is ready

Version 2: Modification of GML file is requested:

• end-user orders only part of the layer, which contains e.g. data sets for an entire country

• the DIP0 is created from AIP • part of the DIP0 content is extracted, modified by an IT/GIS specialist using a special tool, and inserted again into the DIP; all modifications should be back-traced (log file is created and added to the DIP; the fact that DIP content was changed is also recorded in PREMIS, title of changed computer files is also not the same as title in DIP0)

• a DIPu is created, the end-user will also get the reference for the (log) file, in which changes are logged; the user will thus be aware that the content has been modified

• the archivist confirms that the DIPu is ready