Westvault

WestVault provides user-friendly paths for members to ingest digital content into a distributed digital preservation storage network, ensuring the longevity, integrity, and accessibility of critical digital content over the long-term.

WestVault employs the award-winning LOCKSS software to provide a high-redundancy, independently-administered peer storage network spread across all 4 Western provinces. WestVault monitors content health and automatically repairs damage and recovers from data loss events.

WestVault superceded the previous COPPUL Private LOCKSS Network (COPPUL PLN).

Costs

WestVault members pay an annual fee based on storage allocations. This fee includes:

  • Five independently-managed copies of all deposited data, distributed across five Western Canadian university data centres running diverse, state-of-the-art storage systems
  • Automatic digital content damage detection and repair mechanisms
  • Drag-and-drop and API deposit via OwnCloud
  • Option to integrate WestVault with the BC ELN's Arca Repository Service for a seamless deposit workflow
LevelStorage AllocationAnnual Fee (excluding GST)
1100 GB$200
2500 GB$1,000
31 TB$2,000

Additional storage can be purchased in either 500 GB or 1 TB increments for current pricing. If the Depositor's storage exceeds purchased storage allocations, the Depositor must obtain additional storage in either 500 GB or 1 TB increments, or at the next level at current pricing, whichever is less.

Benefits

  • WestVault is built on open-source software, standards, and protocols
  • WestVault is community-owned and operated

WestVault participants

WestVault currently has 18 participants. Those include 15 of COPPUL's 23 member institutions, and 3 external partners via BC-ELN.

  • Athabasca University
  • Brandon University
  • Camosun College (via BC ELN)
  • Emily Carr University of Art + Design (via BC ELN)
  • MacEwan University
  • Mount Royal University
  • Simon Fraser University
  • University of Alberta
  • University of British Columbia
  • University of the Fraser Valley
  • University of Lethbridge
  • University of Manitoba
  • University of Regina
  • University of Saskatchewan
  • University of Victoria
  • University of Winnipeg
  • Vancouver Community College (via BC ELN)
  • Vancouver Island University

Participants abide by the terms of the WestVault Deposit Agreement [.pdf], which helps ensure the security and integrity of preserved content.

Governance

Reporting to the CDSN Standing Committee, the Preservation Infrastructure Working Group (PIWG) guides COPPUL's efforts to build and support development of community-based digital preservation infrastructure. That includes overseeing Westvault operations, and engaging in strategic planning to ensure our preservation storage solutions develop in line with user needs. The group welcomes engagement from WestVault hosts and depositors, and from allied community-based infrastructure providers.

WestVault Hosting Partners

WestVault Hosting Partners run LOCKSS boxes at their institutions based on a common Service Level Agreement.

  • University of Alberta
  • University of British Columbia
  • University of Manitoba
  • University of Regina
  • University of Saskatchewan

Other Partners

More information and sign-up

For service inquiries and support, please contact cdsn@coppul.ca.