The following is a general outline of ideas regarding our future data migration efforts:
Data migration to Omeka from other repository systems:
- Why?
- We don't necessarily want to take the place of existing systems
- We want to supplement and enhance existing systems
- Keep existing system:
- For legacy reasons
- Too invested in existing system (time and money)
- Dependent on a particular schema, controlled vocabularies, etc.
- But use Omeka for its elegant and easy-to-use presentation layer
- How?
- Omeka has a generalized schema that can accept almost any data model:
- DCMI element set (Dublin Core) common to all resourses
- Customized metadata (item types & metafields)
- Straightforward data migration process:
- Create parallel item types and metafields in Omeka
- Map the existing database to the Omeka database
- Omeka has a generalized schema that can accept almost any data model:
- Several ways to migrate data:
- 1) Mediated import:
- Existing database -> CSV/XLS/XML -> Omeka database
- (+) Easy to code/implement due to the use of intermediary file formats
- (+) Usually reusable across repository systems
- (+) Can be done through Omeka's plugin architecture
- (+-) Only as reliable as the export/mapping/import process
- (-) Changes to existing database are not reflected in Omeka until another import is performed
- 2) Un-mediated import:
- Existing database -> Omeka database
- (+-) A little more difficult to code/implement than mediated import
- (-) Not usually reusable across repository systems
- (+) Very reliable if implemented properly
- (-) Changes to existing database are not reflected in Omeka until another import is performed
- 3) ODBC (Open Database Connectivity):
- Omeka request -> Existing database response -> Omeka system
- (-) Difficult to implement (data mapping API must be perfect)
- (-) Not usually reusable across repository systems
- (+) Very reliable if implemented properly
- (+) Changes to existing database are automatically reflected in Omeka
- REST
- OAI_PMH
- etc.
- 1) Mediated import:
(+) = positive attribute (-) = negative attribute (+-) = neutral attribute
