Flexible Bit Preservation on a National Basis

In this paper we present the results from The Danish National Bit Repository project. The project aim was establishment of a system that can offer flexible and sustainable bit preservation solutions to Danish cultural heritage institutions. Here the bit preservation solutions must include support of bit safety as well as other requirements like e.g. confidentiality and availability.
The Danish National Bit Repository is motivated by the need to investigate and handle bit preservation for digital cultural heritage. Digital preservation relies on the integrity of the bits which digital material consists of, and it is with this focus that the project was initiated.
This paper summarizes the requirements for a general system to offer bit preservation to cultural heritage institutions. On this basis the paper describes the resulting flexible system which can support such requirements. The paper will explain principles and design, as well as how both design and implementations can be used by any institution or company with requirements to bit preservation.