H-RAIN: An Architecture for Future-Proofing Digital Archives

1 Introduction Traditionally, systems for large-scale data storage have been based on removable media such as tape and, more recently, optical disk (CD, DVD). While the need for increased storage capacity has never been greater, the inadequacies of traditional approaches have never been more apparent. This is especially true for fixed-content data: new government regulations and increasingly competitive market pressures have converged to underscore the importance of finding long-term storage solutions for fixed-content data that offer ready and secure access, easily scale, and are relatively inexpensive.