Archive eXchange Format (AXF) - An Open Standards-Based Approach to Long Term Content Archiving and Preservation

Rather than rely on archaic IT-centric technological approaches, recent application specific advancements in the area of data storage have been made that better target this demanding area while ensuring long-term preservation and accessibility to valuable media assets. This paper will give a detailed technical overview of the emerging Archive eXchange Format (AXF) open standard for tape and disk-based content storage. With its innovative "operating system per object" approach, AXF guarantees long-term accessibility to content via open tools while overcoming many of the limitations in other storage formats/technologies such as TAR and LTFS. End-user case studies will focus attention on the key features of the AXF standard and how it can be leveraged to ensure open access, protection, and transportability of media assets.

Learning Objectives

How users can can solve long term archive and preservation challenges.
How the embedded file system can makes all the difference
The advantages of encapsulation and scalability
How AXF is designed for long-term preservation
Status of work within the SMPTE TC-31FS30 WG Archive eXchange Format (AXF) group