Editing LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe)

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.

The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.

Latest revision Your text
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox tool
+
{{Infobox_tool
|purpose=LOCKSS software allows libraries to create preserved digital collections out of materials that would otherwise be accessible only through a licensed academic subscription.
+
|purpose=LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) is an international community initiative that provides libraries with digital preservation tools and support so that they can easily and inexpensively collect and preserve their own copies of authorized e-content.
|homepage=http://www.lockss.org/
+
|image=
 +
|homepage= http://www.lockss.org/
 
|license=BSD License
 
|license=BSD License
|platforms=All POSIX (Linux/BSD/UNIX-like OS), Linux. Most LOCKSS installations use a CD which bundles the LOCKSS daemon with an operating system based on OpenBSD. The LOCKSS team also supports running the daemon on RPM-based Linux distributions and on Solaris.
+
|platforms=All POSIX (Linux/BSD/UNIX-like OS), Linux. Most LOCKSS installations use a CD which bundles the LOCKSS daemon with an operating system based on OpenBSD. The LOCKSS team also supports running the daemon on RPM-based Linux distributions and on Solaris.  
|function=Storage, Preservation System, Access
 
}}
 
{{Infobox tool details
 
|ohloh_id=LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe)
 
 
}}
 
}}
 +
 +
<!-- Delete the Categories that do not apply -->
 +
[[Category:Storage]]
 +
[[Category:Preservation System]]
 +
[[Category:Access]]
 +
 +
 
= Description =
 
= Description =
Taking its name (Lots of Copies Keeps Stuff Safe) from the idea that a file is more likely to survive if it has multiple copies stored in multiple places, [http://www.lockss.org/ LOCKSS] software allows libraries to create preserved digital collections out of materials that would otherwise be accessible only through a licensed academic subscription. LOCKSS has agreements with academic publishers to permit libraries to store local copies of content that is usually only accessible through web-based subscriptions, enabling post-cancellation content access. Serving as a web proxy, the software harvests content directly from publisher websites and continually compares it with the same content collected by other libraries&rsquo; systems, so that repairs can be made if any differences are detected.
+
LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) is an international community initiative that provides libraries with digital preservation tools and support so that they can easily and inexpensively collect and preserve their own copies of authorized e-content. Developed by Stanford. Written in Java.
The computer serving as a &ldquo;LOCKSS Box&rdquo; becomes a digital preservation appliance, allowing staff to monitor their content, control access, and perform file format migration. In this capacity they can be used in Private LOCKSS Networks (PLNs), working with material supplied by the organisations themselves.
 
====Provider====
 
LOCKSS is a stand-alone program based at Stanford University Libraries. The JISC-endorsed [http://www.lockssalliance.ac.uk/ UK LOCKSS Alliance] provides support for UK institutions.
 
====Licensing and cost====
 
The software is free and is available under an open-source [http://lockss.stanford.edu/lockss/Software_License Stanford-written license]. However, US institutions wishing to join the LOCKSS Alliance pay an annual fee ranging from $2,236 for &ldquo;Baccalaureate Colleges&rdquo; to $11,180 for &ldquo;Very Large Research Universities&rdquo;. For UK institutions, the UK LOCKSS Alliance offers pro-rata membership from &pound;1,800-5,000 per year.
 
====Development activity====
 
The LOCKSS program is currently self-sustaining, and so development is ongoing. The software is updated on a six-week cycle, and automatically pushed to LOCKSS Boxes.
 
====Platform and interoperability====
 
LOCKSS software is integrated with a Linux installation based on CentOS 5. They therefore recommend installing LOCKSS on a dedicated workstation or server (physical or virtual), which should ideally be configured with 2GB of RAM and two 1TB hard drives to support RAID disk redundancy.&nbsp;LOCKSS was previously provided on an OpenBSD based platform, but as of 2011 this platform is being phased out.
 
LOCKSS includes a Java framework to support plugin writers.
 
====Functional notes====
 
The LOCKSS system requires certain publisher-specific knowledge and code for each publication. This information is contained in a &ldquo;plugin&rdquo; module, which can be written and supplied by publishers, the community, or LOCKSS staff, and is then pushed out to libraries subscribing to those journals.
 
Libraries must have active subscriptions to collect content; as of 2009 the average replication factor in the public LOCKSS network is approximately 40.
 
Users can set up automatic Linux upgrades.
 
====Documentation and user support====
 
LOCKSS has excellent documentation through its website, including an [http://www.lockss.org/locksswp/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/LOCKSS-Linux-Install1.pdf Installation Guide], and an OpenBSD to Linux [http://www.lockss.org/locksswp/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/LOCKSS-Network-Data-Transition.pdf Conversion Guide]. LOCKSS Alliance members receive technical and collections support from the Stanford University LOCKSS team; non-members to not receive direct user support.
 
====Usability====
 
Installation and configuration are non-trivial, but LOCKSS offers a customised Linux installation CD (the LOCKSS Net Install CD) that details the process.
 
The administrative interface is an extremely simple GUI, and content access occurs through the institution&rsquo;s current web interface.
 
====Expertise required====
 
Installation and maintenance require solid knowledge of systems administration, particularly for Linux. Administratively, users must have sound collections policies and familiarity with licensing agreements.
 
====Standards compliance====
 
LOCKSS advertises itself as providing an OAIS-compliant infrastructure.
 
====Influence and take-up====
 
As of 2010, the LOCKSS Alliance had approximately 200 members. However, the software has had nearly 3900 downloads from the Sourceforge site.
 
In addition, the website lists a number of examples of organisations housing Private LOCKSS Networks (PLNs), including Data PASS (Data Preservation Alliance for the Social Sciences), Digital Commons of Berkeley Electronic Press, and the Alabama Digital Preservation Network.
 
 
 
  
 
= User Experiences =
 
= User Experiences =
Line 43: Line 20:
  
 
= Development Activity =
 
= Development Activity =
 +
 +
{{Infobox_tool_details
 +
|ohloh_id=LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe)
 +
}}

Please note that all contributions to COPTR are considered to be released under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (see COPTR:Copyrights for details). If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly and redistributed at will, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource. Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!

To edit this page, please answer the question that appears below (more info):

Cancel Editing help (opens in new window)