According to the data dictionary, the term "storage" is defined as
"Information about how and where a file is stored in the storage
system". It applies to, and is also mandatory for both files and
bitstreams. However, the storageMedium, which is contained in the
storage, applies only to the files but not the bitstreams. There seems
to be an inconsistent use of the term storage.
If the storage is about how and where a certain content (not only files
but also bitstreams) is stored in the storage system, the storageMedium
should also be applicable to bitstream, although its value should be the
same as the file which contains the bitstreams. But a "not applicable"
value of the storageMedia to bitstreams seems to imply a different
semantics, therefore a different term, which should not be related to
the storage.
However, if the contentLocation of a bitstream is to be meaningful, it
will have to be related to the storage system. A bitstream in the middle
of a transfer will not have a definite location. If the applicability of
the storage to bitstreams is related to the storage system, then IMO the
storageMedium should also apply.
A further question is that to record the contentLocation of a bitstream,
perhaps the contentLocationValue will have to start from the location of
the file in the storage system. Because the relation between a bitstream
and the file is an optional field, if it is not recorded, then the the
example of 64[offset from start of file] (data dictionary, p. 2-37) will
not resolve to a definite location, because the file location is
missing.
What do you think?
Thanks,
Zhiwu Xie
Graduate Research Assistant
Research Library
Los Alamos National Lab
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