ISO 14721:2025

Space Data System Practices — Reference model for an open archival information system (OAIS)

This document defines the CCSDS and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System (OAIS). An OAIS is an Archive system consisting of hardware, software, information, and policy-based processes and procedures put in place and operated by an organization and its staff. The organization has accepted the responsibility to preserve information and make it available for a Designated Community. The organization may be part of a larger organization. The system meets a set of mandatory responsibilities that allow an OAIS Archive to be distinguished from other uses of the term ‘archive’. The set of mandatory responsibilities an OAIS Archive must perform are defined in REF _Ref511638039 \r \h 3.2 08D0C9EA79F9BACE118C8200AA004BA90B02000000080000000E0000005F005200650066003500310031003600330038003000330039000000 . The term ‘Open’ in OAIS is used to imply that this Recommended Practice, as well as future related Recommended Practices and standards, are developed in open forums, and it does not imply that access to the Archive is unrestricted. The information being maintained has been deemed to need Long Term Preservation, even if the OAIS itself is not permanent. Long Term is long enough to be concerned with the impacts of changing technologies, as well as support for new media and data formats, or with a changing Knowledge Base of the Designated Community or changes within the Designated Community or its definition. Long Term may extend indefinitely. In this Reference Model there is a particular focus on digital information, both as the primary forms of information held and as supporting information for both digitally and physically preserved materials. Therefore, the model accommodates information that is inherently non-digital (e.g., a physical sample), but the modelling and preservation of such information is not addressed in detail. This Reference Model: – provides a framework for the understanding and increased awareness of archival concepts needed for Long Term digital information preservation and access; – provides the concepts needed by non-archival organizations to be effective participants in the preservation process; – provides a framework, including terminology and concepts, for describing and comparing architectures and operations of existing and future Archives; – provides a framework for describing and comparing different Long Term Preservation strategies and techniques; – provides a basis for comparing the data models of digital information preserved by Archives and for discussing how the data models and the underlying information may change over time; – provides a framework that may be expanded by other efforts to cover Long Term Preservation of information that is NOT in digital form (e.g., physical media and physical samples); – expands consensus on the elements and processes for Long Term digital information preservation and access, and promotes a larger market which vendors can support; – guides the identification and production of OAIS-related standards. The reference model addresses a full range of archival information preservation functions including ingest, archival storage, data management, access, and dissemination. It also addresses the migration of digital information to new media and forms, the information models used to represent the information, the role of software in information preservation, and the exchange of digital information among Archives. It identifies both internal and external interfaces to the Archive functions, and it identifies a number of high-level services at these interfaces. It provides various illustrative examples and some ‘best practice’ recommendations. It defines a minimal set of responsibilities for an Archive to be called an OAIS, and it also defines a maximal Archive to provide a broad set of useful terms and concepts.

Pratiques des systèmes de données spatiales — Modèle de référence pour un système ouvert d'archivage d'information (SOAI)

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 09-Mar-2025
• ICS: 49.140 - Space systems and operations
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 20/SC 13 - Space data and information transfer systems
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 20/SC 13 - Space data and information transfer systems
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 07-Mar-2025
• Due Date: 10-Mar-2025
• Completion Date: 10-Mar-2025

Relations

• Revises: ISO 14721:2012 - Space data and information transfer systems — Open archival information system (OAIS) — Reference model
• Effective Date: 15-Jul-2023

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO 14721
Third edition
Space Data System Practices —
2025-03
Reference model for an open
archival information system (OAIS)
Pratiques des systèmes de données spatiales — Modèle de
référence pour un système ouvert d'archivage d'information (SOAI)
Reference number
© ISO 2025
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
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Published in Switzerland
ii
CCSDS RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR AN OAIS REFERENCE MODEL
Foreword
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are described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria
needed for the different types of ISO document should be noted (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the
use of (a) patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of
any claimed patent rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO
had not received notice of (a) patent(s) which may be required to implement this document.
However, implementers are cautioned that this may not represent the latest information, which
may be obtained from the patent database available at www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be
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Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and
does not constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see
www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS)
(as CCSDS 650.0-M-3, December 2024) and drafted in accordance with its editorial rules. It was
assigned to Technical Committee ISO/TC 20, Aircraft and space vehicles, Subcommittee SC 13,
Space data and information transfer systems and adopted under the “fast-track procedure”.
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO 14721:2012), which has been
technically revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— Changes from the current issue are too numerous to permit meaningful markup.
— This issue has additions to, and clarifications of, concepts and terminology, for example:
— The relationship between Preservation Description Information (PDI) and
Content Data Object has been clarified, emphasizing that, as has been stated
since the original version of OAIS, any Information Object may serve as Content
Information.
CCSDS 650.0-M-3 Page iii December 2024
CCSDS RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR AN OAIS REFERENCE MODEL
— The concept of Preservation Objectives has been introduced to allow
“Independently Understandable” to be more consistently testable.
— Consistency with the Producer-Archive Interface Specification (PAIS) (CCSDS
651.1-B-1) has been improved.
— Diagram conventions have been clarified.
— Some definitions in the Glossary have been clarified.
— Consistency between the diagrams of the Functional Entities and supporting
text has been improved.
— A Preservation Watch function has been added to the Preservation Planning
Functional Entity.
— The definition of the Information Package has been updated for consistency.
— Additional preservation techniques have been described explicitly in addition to
Migration.
— Additional types of Archive interaction have been added, including primary-
supporting Archives.
— Annex A is marked as Informative. It had previously erroneously been marked
as Normative.
— Annex B from the previous issue described the relationship of OAIS to other
standards; but its contents were continually out of date as those other
standards develop along different directions and timelines as compared to OAIS
development. Also, subsection 1.5 from the previous issue, which provided a
roadmap to related Standards which could be developed was removed since a
number of those standards are now available. Both have been replaced by
pointers in annex B to informative documents on the CCSDS web site which can
be updated more rapidly.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards
body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

CCSDS 650.0-M-3 Page iv December 2024
CCSDS RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR AN OAIS REFERENCE MODEL
CONTENTS
Section Page
1 INTRODUCTION . 1-1

1.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE . 1-1
1.2 APPLICABILITY . 1-2
1.3 RATIONALE . 1-3
1.4 CONFORMANCE . 1-3
1.5 DOCUMENT STRUCTURE . 1-4
1.6 DEFINITIONS . 1-7

2 OAIS CONCEPTS . 2-1

2.1 GENERAL . 2-1
2.2 OAIS ENVIRONMENT . 2-2
2.3 OAIS INFORMATION . 2-3
2.4 PRESERVATION OBJECTIVES . 2-8
2.5 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION HELD BY THE ARCHIVE . 2-9
2.6 OAIS HIGH-LEVEL EXTERNAL INTERACTIONS . 2-10

3 OAIS RESPONSIBILITIES. 3-1

3.1 OVERVIEW . 3-1
3.2 MANDATORY RESPONSIBILITIES . 3-1
3.3 EXAMPLE MECHANISMS FOR DISCHARGING RESPONSIBILITIES . 3-2

4 DETAILED MODELS . 4-1

4.1 OVERVIEW . 4-1
4.2 FUNCTIONAL MODEL . 4-1
4.3 INFORMATION MODEL. 4-22
4.4 INFORMATION PACKAGE TRANSFORMATIONS . 4-55

5 PRESERVATION PERSPECTIVES . 5-1

5.1 OVERVIEW . 5-1
5.2 DIGITAL MIGRATION . 5-2
5.3 ADDING REPRESENTATION INFORMATION . 5-11
5.4 HANDING OVER TO ANOTHER OAIS . 5-16

6 ARCHIVE INTEROPERABILITY . 6-1

6.1 GENERAL . 6-1
6.2 LEVELS OF INTERACTION BETWEEN OAIS ARCHIVES . 6-2
CCSDS 650.0-M-3 Page v December 2024
CCSDS RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR AN OAIS REFERENCE MODEL
CONTENTS (continued)
Section Page
ANNEX A COMPOSITE FUNCTIONAL VIEW (INFORMATIVE) . A-1
ANNEX B RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER STANDARDS OR
EFFORTS (INFORMATIVE) . B-1
ANNEX C BRIEF GUIDE TO THE UNIFIED MODELING
LANGUAGE (UML) (INFORMATIVE) . C-1
ANNEX D INFORMATIVE REFERENCES (INFORMATIVE). D-1
ANNEX E A MODEL FOR SOFTWARE USE IN REPRESENTATION
INFORMATION (INFORMATIVE) . E-1
ANNEX F SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS (INFORMATIVE) . F-1
Figure
1-1 Examples of Diagram Conventions . 1-6
2-1 Environment Model of an OAIS . 2-2
2-2 Obtaining Information from Data . 2-4
2-3 Information Package Concepts and Relationships . 2-6
2-4 OAIS Archive External Data . 2-10
4-1 OAIS Functional Entities . 4-1
4-2 Functions of the Ingest Functional Entity . 4-6
4-3 Functions of the Archival Storage Functional Entity . 4-8
4-4 Functions of the Data Management Functional Entity . 4-10
4-5 Functions of the Administration Functional Entity . 4-12
4-6 Functions of the Preservation Planning Functional Entity . 4-15
4-7 Functions of the Access Functional Entity . 4-18
4-8 OAIS Data Flow Diagram . 4-20
4-9 Administration Context Diagram . 4-21
4-10 Information Object . 4-23
4-11 Representation Information Object . 4-26
4-12 Partial General RIN . 4-27
4-13 Example of a Simplified RIN for a FITS File . 4-28
4-14 Information Object Taxonomy . 4-31
4-15 Information Package Contents and Its Associated Package
Description and Packaging Information. 4-39
4-16 Example of an Information Object Made Up of Content
Information and PDI . 4-39
4-17 Information Package Taxonomy . 4-40
4-18 Archival Information Package (AIP) and Its Associated Package
Description and Packaging Information. 4-42
4-19 Preservation Description Information . 4-43
4-20 Package Description and Its Associated AIP . 4-44
CCSDS 650.0-M-3 Page vi December 2024
CCSDS RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR AN OAIS REFERENCE MODEL
CONTENTS (continued)
Figure Page
4-21 Archival Information Package (Detailed View) and Its Associated
Package Description and Packaging Information . 4-45
4-22 Specialization of the AIP . 4-46
4-23 Specialization of the Package Description . 4-47
4-24 Archival Information Unit (AIU) and Its Associated Unit
Description and Packaging Information. 4-48
4-25 Unit Description and Its Associated Archival Information Unit . 4-48
4-26 Archival Information Collections and Its Associated Collection
Description and Packaging Information Logical View . 4-50
...