The medium is NOT the message or Indefinitely long-term file storage at Leeds University

Approximately 3 years ago we implemented an archive file storage system which embodies experiences gained over more than 25 years of using and writing file storage systems. It is the third in-house system that we have written, and all three systems have been adopted by other institutions. This paper discusses the requirements for long-term data storage in a university environment, and describes how our present system is designed to meet these requirements indefinitely. Particular emphasis is laid on experiences from past systems, and their influence on current system design. We also look at the influence of the IEEE-MSS standard. We currently have the system operating in five UK universities. The system operates in a multi-server environment, and is currently operational with UNIX (SunOS4, Solaris2, SGI-IRIX, HP-UX), NetWare3 and NetWare4. PCs logged on to NetWare can also archive and recover files that live on their hard disks.