Addressing Technical Debt in Long Term Archives

Abstract:

Software is a core part of long-term archives, and as Martin Fowler notes, “Software systems are prone to the build-up of cruft”. This cruft is part of what Ward Cunningham called Technical Debt, which makes it more difficult to add new capabilities and fix things when they break. Technical debt also accumulates in other places, like business processes and the skill mix of current staff. Successful long-term archives, having been around for decades, can have interesting kinds of cruft build-up, as leaders make the difficult choices of how to allocate limited funds and people’s time. But, managing cruft is an important part of at least the Sustainability aspect of TRUST, and one can argue it is also key in Responsibility and Technology. This presentation will examine common causes for technical debt in long-term archives, as well as propose strategies for managing this source of risk.