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About archival files and high resolution images

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Find information about the Archival File Manager that handles the storage of files in archive volumes for CONTENTdm.

CONTENTdm provides an Archival File Manager that handles the storage of files in archive volumes. If it is enabled on the server, any file imported into the CONTENTdm collection using the Project Client is copied to the specified storage location and cataloged in a manifest file (manifest.txt) stored in each volume location. The storage location and volume naming are specified by your administrator.

Archival files can be any file type, including high-resolution (or full) images. High-resolution images are very large and are either uncompressed or minimally compressed. When working with high-resolution images, you can choose whether to automatically generate display-quality versions when full-resolution images are added. You can also determine the display image format (JPEG or JPEG2000), quality, and compression settings by editing Images & Thumbnails settings in the Project Settings Manager before you add the files. Display images optimize the end-user display, and you can use the Archival File Manager to store full-resolution versions of those images. You can add high-resolution files to your project using the same methods used for other items.

If Archival File Manager and display image settings are enabled, CONTENTdm keeps track of three versions of your images:

  1. Full resolution
  2. Display
  3. Thumbnail

The thumbnail and display images reside on the server. The full-resolution image can reside on the server or be stored offline, depending on organizational policies and the process established by your administrator.

The manifest file (manifest.txt) can be useful for logging information about files stored in your archive or copied to storage media. The manifest file is required for items to be imported into the OCLC Digital Archive, a service that stores digital originals in a secure, managed, and separate environment. For more information, see the Digital Archive Getting Started Guide.

You can edit Archival File Manager settings if you have the right to configure settings and field properties in CONTENTdm Administration.

For more information about using display images and the Archival File Manager, see Display image settings and Archival File Manager.