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Glossary
A reference guide to terms, acronyms, and concepts used in CloudViPER and digital preservation.
A
API (Application Programming Interface) A set of protocols and tools that allow different software applications to communicate with each other. CloudViPER provides a REST API for programmatic access.
Authentication The process of verifying the identity of a user or system. CloudViPER uses session-based authentication with bcrypt password hashing.
Authorization The process of determining what permissions an authenticated user has. CloudViPER implements role-based access control (RBAC).
C
Container A lightweight, standalone executable package that includes everything needed to run a piece of software. CloudViPER manages ViPER instances deployed as Docker containers.
CloudViPER The web-based version of ViPER that provides browser access to digital preservation tools, deployable in cloud or self-hosted environments.
D
Digital Preservation The active management of digital content over time to ensure ongoing access despite technological change. ViPER and CloudViPER support digital preservation workflows with open source tools.
Docker An open platform for developing, shipping, and running applications in containers. CloudViPER uses Docker for containerized deployment.
Docker Compose A tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications. CloudViPER uses Docker Compose for orchestrating its services.
DROID (Digital Record Object Identification) A file format identification tool developed by The National Archives UK. One of the core preservation tools available in ViPER.
F
Format Validation The process of checking whether a file conforms to its format specification. Tools like JHOVE and veraPDF perform format validation.
Format Identification Determining the file format of a digital object, typically using tools like DROID or Tika.
H
HandBrake An open source video transcoding tool included in ViPER for converting video files between formats.
J
JHOVE (JSTOR/Harvard Object Validation Environment) A format validation and characterization tool maintained by the Open Preservation Foundation. JHOVE validates and extracts technical metadata from digital objects.
M
MediaConch An implementation checker tool that validates conformance of media files against technical specifications.
MediaInfo A tool for displaying technical metadata about audio and video files, including codec information and container details.
Metadata Data about data. In digital preservation, metadata includes technical information about file formats, creation dates, checksums, and preservation actions.
MySQL An open source relational database management system used by CloudViPER for data persistence.
O
OPF (Open Preservation Foundation) A not-for-profit organization dedicated to long-term digital preservation through collaborative development of open source tools and standards.
P
PDF/A An ISO-standardized version of PDF specialized for long-term archiving of electronic documents.
R
RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) An access control approach that restricts system access based on user roles. CloudViPER implements RBAC with roles including Admin, Team Leader, Team Admin, and Team Member.
REST API (Representational State Transfer API) An architectural style for web services that uses HTTP requests. CloudViPER provides a REST API for integration and automation.
S
Session Management The process of tracking user interactions across multiple requests. CloudViPER uses express-session with MySQL storage.
Self-Hosted Deployment on your own infrastructure rather than using a cloud provider. CloudViPER supports both self-hosted and cloud deployments.
T
Tika An Apache project that detects and extracts metadata and text from various file formats.
Traefik A modern reverse proxy and load balancer used by CloudViPER for routing and SSL/TLS termination.
TypeScript A strongly typed programming language that builds on JavaScript. CloudViPER is written in TypeScript.
V
veraPDF An open source PDF/A validation tool that checks PDF files for conformance with PDF/A standards.
ViPER (Virtual Preservation Environment) A virtual machine containing popular open source digital preservation tools with graphical interfaces. CloudViPER extends ViPER to web-based deployment.
Virtual Machine (VM) A software emulation of a computer system. The original ViPER is distributed as a virtual machine; CloudViPER uses containerization instead.
W
Web GUI (Graphical User Interface) A browser-based interface for interacting with software. CloudViPER provides a web GUI for managing ViPER instances.
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