Arkib Negara ELECTRONIC RECORDS MANAGEMENT and archive mgmt guideline_eng

e-SPARK
The fact that most digital storage devices have only emerged recently, means that the life
expectancy for these devices is largely unproven. Rapid cycles of technological
obsolescence occurring within the IT industry present the possibility that digital storage
devices may well become outmoded, unsupported and obsolete due to unavailability of the
software and hardware required to access the records stored on them long before the
storage devices themselves physically degrade.
Public offices are therefore advised to be conservative when planning for the refreshment of
storage devices, and to err on the side of caution, rather than risk the loss of electronic
records from storage device deterioration. In deciding when to refresh storage devices,
public office staff will need to consider the following factors:
• Vendor claims of storage device life expectancy (preferably supported by evidence from
independent tests).
• Technological advancements that make the current storage device obsolete.
• Ready access to equipment capable of reading and rendering the electronic record
contained on the current storage device.
• Relevant standards (e.g. ISO 18921 on estimating the life expectancy of compact disks
based on the effects of temperature and relative humidity).
• The results of ongoing internal storage device integrity checks.
When contemplating refreshing digital storage devices, public offices should consider the
selection criteria for digital storage devices. Where electronic records are transferred to a
new digital storage device, the content, context and format of the electronic records
contained on the existing storage device must not be altered as a result of the transfer.
Standard error checking techniques should be used to assess the quality of the blank
storage device to be used. And after the transfer has been completed (and before the source
records are destroyed), spot checks should be undertaken to ensure that the electronic
records have been reliably and accurately transferred to the new device. Verification
techniques, such as checksums, should be used to confirm digital record integrity.
After each transfer it is advisable to perform a test restoration of the data to verify the
success of the process and ensure that the electronic records are still accessible.
Where digital storage devices are not refreshed in a timely manner there is a significant
chance that the electronic records they contain will become corrupted and inaccessible.
Allowing electronic records to become inaccessible may be viewed as a breach of the Akta
Arkib Negara 2003.
In cases where electronic records cannot be accessed due to the failure or corruption of the
storage device, public offices should seek assistance from commercial data recovery
services and take all reasonable steps to recover the electronic records. The feasibility and
cost of recovering the lost electronic records will depend on the type of digital storage device
used, the level of degradation and the complexity of the recovery process required.
Copyright Arkib Negara Malaysia Page 22 of 86