SIPsubmission
What enters the archive from the originator. On ingest, completeness, the validity of the metadata, the format and freedom from viruses are checked.
a faulty package is not accepted
Information systems and digitisation
Digital archives
The storage will preserve the documents — a trustworthy archive ensures that they remain readable and valid decades from now. We build long-term preservation (LTP) in line with the reference model OAIS — ISO 14721:2025 — including electronic signing, in which signatures do not lose their validity over time.
We explain what is actually audited in a trusted archive and how formats and metadata are handled. For archives, memory institutions and organisations with records management.
What long-term preservation (LTP) is
Storing a digital document is not enough — in twenty years' time it must still be readable, unaltered and trustworthy. That is exactly what is addressed by Long-Term Preservation in line with the reference model OAIS (ISO 14721:2025): defined processes for ingest, preservation, format management and access to digital objects.
OAIS in practice — three packages, not a single store
The OAIS reference model is not about the disk, but about what happens to a document over time. A digital object passes through the archive in three forms, and each has a different role:
AIParchival
The form in which an object is preserved long term — with checksums, multiple copies and a format preservation plan.
the core of a trusted archive
DIPdissemination
What the user receives when searching — often in a different format from the archival original.
for the reader, not for the archive
SIPAIPDIPone object, three forms — depending on what we are doing with it at the time
Without this distinction the most common mistake of digital archives arises: an organisation thinks it is archiving when in fact it only has a backup. A backup protects against the loss of data. An archive protects against the loss of readability and trustworthiness.
Trusted storage — what is actually audited
The trustworthiness of an archive is demonstrated not by technology but by documentation. The standard ISO 16363:2025 (audit and certification of trustworthy digital repositories) assesses three areas and in each of them asks for evidence, not promises. Both standards have had a new edition since 2025 — when designing an archive we work from the version in force.
- Organisational infrastructurewho is responsible for the archive, how it is funded and whether that funding is sustainable, what contractual relationships it has and what happens to the data if the institution ceases to exist.
- Digital object managementhow ingest works, how AIPs are created and checked, how format preservation is planned, how access is provided.
- Infrastructure and security risk managementthe technical environment, the number and location of copies, disaster recovery, access management.
We use this structure as the backbone of a design even when an organisation is not planning certification — it is the cheapest way to find out what is missing from the archive while it can still be added.
Formats and metadata — where archives most often fail
Format migration, or emulation? For ordinary documents, conversion to an archival format is enough. For complex publications — interactive, multimedia, with a proprietary core — conversion tends to be lossy and the result cannot be reliably verified. In such cases we recommend keeping the original format as well, and possibly the software needed to open it, and preparing for emulation of the environment.
PDF/A is not an automatic guarantee. Conversion to archival PDF is not a lossless operation — after conversion it is necessary to verify that the properties that really matter for the document have been preserved (fonts, colour profile, structure, signatures). Conversion therefore includes validation and a record of any deviations found, not just a "converted" message.
Technical metadata is a condition of preservation, not of description. Without them you cannot monitor the state of the objects or plan a future migration — the archive then does not know what it is actually preserving. They are recorded from day one, not added later.
- Standards
- OAIS · ISO 14721:2025 · ISO 16363:2025
- Packages
- SIP · AIP · DIP
- Formats
- PDF/A
- Metadata
- METS · PREMIS
- Integrity
- fixity · checksum
Electronic signing and trustworthy archiving
The solution includes electronic signing in accordance with eIDAS and trustworthy archiving of signed documents — the signatures are renewed on an ongoing basis, so they do not lose their legal validity over time. Suitable for public administration and for companies with records management. It is the same principle as with formats: storing a document is not enough — its validity has to be renewed on an ongoing basis.
We deliver signing in partnership with BRAIN:IT (brainit.sk, s.r.o.) on the platform NFQES — the provider is a qualified trust service provider supervised by NBÚ SR. A signature is qualified when it is created with a qualified certificate on a qualified device. The platform covers all levels of signatures and seals including qualified ones, a qualified time stamp and free verification of a signed document. Signing can be done remotely, without a reader or a card — via a virtual smart card; in the archive the documents are re-signed every year, so they do not lose validity. We provide the solution design, the integration with records management and the archive, the deployment and the subsequent servicing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a backup and a digital archive?
A backup protects against loss of data and is usually overwritten. An archive protects against loss of readability and trustworthiness over a horizon of decades: it tracks formats, keeps technical and preservation metadata, checks the integrity of copies and can prove that a document has not changed since it was stored.
Do we need certification to ISO 16363?
No, certification is voluntary. We do recommend following its structure, however — organisational infrastructure, digital object management, risk management. Even without a certificate you can then document why your archive is trustworthy, and you will find the gaps before they show up.
Is it enough to convert documents to PDF/A?
For ordinary text documents PDF/A is a suitable choice, but conversion alone is not enough — you have to verify that the significant properties of the document have been preserved and record any deviations. For interactive and multimedia publications it is often better to keep the original format as well.
How many copies, and where should they be stored?
The minimum is several independent copies in geographically separate locations so that the same event cannot affect them all. We propose the exact number and distance according to the value of the collection, the budget and a risk analysis — together with regular integrity (fixity) checking and a recovery plan.
How long do electronically signed documents remain valid?
The cryptographic validity of a signature is limited in time. Trustworthy archiving therefore includes the ongoing renewal of time stamps — the document retains its evidential value even years later, when the original algorithms become obsolete.
Can signing be done without a card reader and a chip card?
Yes. The NFQES platform enables remote signing via a virtual smart card — without a reader or a physical card, with multi-factor authentication. It covers all levels of signatures and seals including qualified ones and a qualified time stamp; verification of a signed document is free of charge.
Which version of the standards do you work to?
Both key standards have a new 2025 edition: ISO 14721:2025 (the OAIS reference model, third edition) and ISO 16363:2025 (audit and certification of trustworthy repositories, second edition). When designing an archive we work from the versions in force.
Digital archives · Consultation
Do you need a trustworthy digital archive?
We can advise on the design of an LTP archive and on trusted document signing.
E-mail: qintec@qintec.sk · Phone: +421 2 3240 1217 (working days 9:00 – 15:30)