[Archivesspace_Users_Group] AT to ArchivesSpace Migration

[Brad Westbrook]

No, Chris, such an enhancement for the Archon>ArchivesSpace migration tools has not been submitted.  I too know there is a need for that modification.  Would you be able to work up a specification and submit it as part of a new feature request?

Could you also review the current limitation that Archon data must first be migrated to ArchivesSpace v.1.0.4, which then has to be updated to a more recent version?  Can the target ArchivesSpace version be changed to one more recent?

Brad W.


From: archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org [mailto:archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org] On Behalf Of Prom, Christopher John
Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2015 5:00 PM
To: Archivesspace Users Group
Subject: Re: [Archivesspace_Users_Group] AT to ArchivesSpace Migration

Has anyone ever submitted a feature request for the migration tools, to better support migration of multiple instances into one database?  Or is that out of scope?

I can see where this would be very useful in many contexts-including our own.  I really didn't anticipate this as an issue when we were working on the archon migration tool but I think there is a clear use case for it.

Maybe it is too difficult to do, but am just wondering if it has been considered or what the barriers would be.

Chris Prom

On Mar 4, 2015, at 3:43 PM, Nathan Stevens <ns96 at nyu.edu<mailto:ns96 at nyu.edu>> wrote:


Since the migration tool doesn't check to see if Subjects and Names exist before copying them, then errors are thrown and the linked to these records will not be maintained upon migration.  Worst, is if you have a duplicate repository record, then a whole bunch of records will not migrate.

As such, we don't officially support this approach since it cannot be guaranteed all your records will migrate correctly. That said, unless the two AT database are similar in content then there should only be a small number of duplicate and linking errors which can be fixed manually.

On Wed, Mar 4, 2015 at 4:35 PM, Callahan, Maureen <maureen.callahan at yale.edu<mailto:maureen.callahan at yale.edu>> wrote:
I'm kind of surprised to see these answers, Nathan, since we at Yale have been migrating four different AT databases (from several different distinct repositories) to ASpace in a staggered fashion with no problems so far. If Elizabeth is migrating distinct AT repositories into ASpace, where none of those repositories yet reside, what exactly is non-recommended and non-supported about this strategy?

Maureen

Maureen Callahan
Archivist, Metadata Specialist
Manuscripts & Archives
Yale University Library
maureen.callahan at yale.edu<mailto:maureen.callahan at yale.edu>
203.432.3627<tel:203.432.3627>

Webpage: web.library.yale.edu/mssa<http://web.library.yale.edu/mssa>
Collections: drs.library.yale.edu<http://drs.library.yale.edu/>

From: archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org<mailto:archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org> [mailto:archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org<mailto:archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org>] On Behalf Of Nathan Stevens
Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2015 4:31 PM
To: Archivesspace Users Group
Subject: Re: [Archivesspace_Users_Group] AT to ArchivesSpace Migration

Answers below

On Wed, Mar 4, 2015 at 1:42 PM, Elizabeth Dunham <Elizabeth.Dunham at asu.edu<mailto:Elizabeth.Dunham at asu.edu>> wrote:
Hello,

Arizona State University recently absorbed the Thunderbird School of Global Management, which means that we are in the process of adding their collection metadata to our collection metadata.  ASU migrated to ArchivesSpace in late 2013  and put it into full production in early 2014.  Our instance is currently at version 1.1.0 (although I have a request in to update it) and has eight repositories.  Thunderbird is running Archivists Toolkit version 2.0 (I'm  not sure what update).

Basically, what I want to do is add a ninth repository for Thunderbird and migrate the data into it.  I looked over the migration guidance, but it seems to assume that one is migrating into a new ArchivesSpace instance rather than into a new repository.  That brings me to my questions:


1.       Can I migrate data from Toolkit to a new repository in ASpace rather than into a new instance of ASpace?  Is that even a good idea?  I have my doubts, given the potential to corrupt the existing data.

The AT migration tool cannot migrate data into a specific Repository.  Rather it will copy all the records in the AT database (including any repository records) into the ASpace instance without regard to the data already in there.  As such, this is not a migration strategy that's recommend or supported.


2.       If I migrate to a new instance of ASpace, is it possible to transfer the data to the existing version of ASpace?  I know I can transfer records within ASpace, but I don't know of a way to transition between instances.

This can be done using the REST API of ASpace, but you will have to write a custom migration tool to do this.


3.       Would it be possible/better to do the migration manually?
You can export the AT records as EADs, then re-import them into the ASpace instance, but that would only work for the Resource and any digital object records. Accessions will not be migrated in this way, however.


Thank you very much for your help!

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Dunham

------------------------
Assistant Archivist
Arizona State University Libraries
Archives and Special Collections
Tempe, AZ 85287-1006
Elizabeth.Dunham at asu.edu<mailto:Elizabeth.Dunham at asu.edu>

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--
Nathan Stevens
Programmer/Analyst
Digital Library Technology Services
New York University

1212-998-2653<tel:1212-998-2653>
ns96 at nyu.edu<mailto:ns96 at nyu.edu>

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--
Nathan Stevens
Programmer/Analyst
Digital Library Technology Services
New York University

1212-998-2653
ns96 at nyu.edu<mailto:ns96 at nyu.edu>
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