for long periods; emulation of obsolete software or hardware in a new environment;

and migration of data from one operating technology to another. These are all
strategies that have been demonstrated to work in certain circumstances over limited
periods of time. Necessarily, they have not proven themselves against unknown
threats over centuries of change. But they do have current applications in the
management of data, and it seems likely that combinations of them will continue to be
researched and proposed for large-scale, long-term preservation.

17.11 The principles behind current approaches

In searching for ways to overcome the impact of technological change, most
approaches that have been proposed are based on one or more of the following
principles:
Converting data to a human readable form on a carrier that is easy to maintain
(such as paper, film or stable metal carriers)
Creating data in, or converting data to, a highly standardised form of encoding
and/or document structure (or file format) that will continue to be widely
recognised by computer systems for a long time
Making the data self-describing and self-sustaining by packaging it with
metadata and with links to software that will continue to provide access for
some time, (and perhaps even packaging the software with the data)
Converting the data to a format where the means of access will be easier to
find
Maintaining the data in its original form (or a simplified version), and
providing tools that will re-present it as originally, either using the original
software and hardware (which have been maintained as well), or using new
software that emulates the behaviour of the original software and/or hardware
Providing specifications for emulating the original means of access on a
theoretical intermediate computer platform, as a bridge to later emulation in a
future operating environment
Converting (migrating) the data to new formats that are accessible with each
new operating technology
Supporting later migration on demand by maintaining the data and recording
enough information about it to allow a future user or manager to convert it to a
then-readable form
Maintaining the data and providing new presentation software (viewers) that
will render an acceptable presentation of it for each new operating
environment.

17.12 Critical support for preservation strategies

Whatever strategies are chosen, they must be supported by:
Appropriate organisational commitments of responsibility, policy, procedures
and resources

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