Cost-driven design for archival repositories

Abstract

Designing an archival repository is a complex task because there are many alternative configurations, each with different reliability levels and costs. In this paper we study the costs involved in an Archival Repository and we introduce a design framework for evaluating alternatives and choosing the best configuration in terms of reliability and cost. We also present a new version of our simulation tool, ArchSim/C that aids in the decision process. The design framework and the usage of ArchSim/C are illustrated with a case study of a hypothetical (yet realistic) archival repository shared between two universities.