AIP pointer file

Pointer files have been used to help provide sustainable access to compressed AIPs since Archivematica 1.0. [1]. The documentation about them, below, is currently in progress.

Access

Accessing pointer files inside Archivematica can be done by navigating the Dashboard to Archival storage finding a suitable AIP, e.g. at time of writing a compressed AIP, and under Pointer file clicking View. Archivematica will make a call to the Storage Service API to return the file for that AIP.

• Storage Service API reference to return a Pointer File

Developer Notes

Location inside Storage Service

Pointer file are stored in internal Storage Service directories, e.g.

/var/archivematica/storage_service/d5c3/3360/7b92/4a2f/9002/32f5/a143/daaf/pointer.d5c33360-7b92-4a2f-9002-32f5a143daaf.xml

You can see where they are stored looking up the Storage Service database:

select locations_location.uuid, 
       locations_location.relative_path, 
	   locations_location.description, 
       locations_location.purpose
from locations_location
inner join locations_package 
on locations_location.uuid = 
   locations_package.pointer_file_location_id

Sample Pointer Files

• Sample XML Pointer File
• LOCKSS Integration Pointer File

External Links

• Justin Simpson on the structure and purpose of pointer files at Google Groups
• Feature #5159 The original tranche of work resulting in the implementation of pointer files