Replicating Digital Audiovisual Archives in the Cloud The Unintended Consequences of Non-Alphanumeric Characters in Filenames and Filepaths

Abstract

Non-alphanumeric characters in filenames and filepaths can lead to unintended consequences in digital preservation.  The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Archive conducted simple tests to investigate peculiarities related to this issue that surfaced when preserving their audiovisual assets.  This case study resulted in a list of problematic, albeit commonly used, non-alphanumeric characters.  It also uncovered significant implications for using proprietary cloud replication software as part of digital preservation workflows.