Microservices in Audiovisual Archives

Abstract

This document describes and examines strategies for designing lightweight microservice environments for the processing of digital, file-based, audiovisual data within an archive. The document presumes an overview understanding of the Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System (OAIS). The document also makes references to programming archival routines in command languages, but seeks to provide examples in pseudo-code rather than favoring any particular computer language. Since the document intends to focus on archival routines for audiovisual content, an introduction to ffmpeg can be helpful. Additionally, this document does not intend to purport to be a standard for the design of audiovisual microservices but seeks to contribute to and build upon the work and dialogue of many audiovisual archives that has been exploring and successfully implementing microservices in audiovisual archives; see in particularly the compiled, collaborative documentation at https://github.com/amiaopensource/open-workflows.