Rule-based curation and preservation of data: A data grid approach using iRODS

Research is generating large quantities of digital material, much of it irreplaceable, and there is a pressing need to maintain long-term access to it. Not only is the quantity of data growing in size, it is becoming much more diverse and complex, significantly complicating the issues around its curation. Automation of curation is key if a scalable solution is to be found. We describe an approach to automation in which digital curation policies and strategies are represented as rules, which are implemented in data grids based on the iRODS middleware.