ISO 20104-2015 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 20104:2015 — Space data and information transfer systems — Producer‑Archive Interface Specification (PAIS). This International Standard defines a method for formally specifying the digital information objects to be transferred by an information Producer to an Archive and for packaging those objects as Submission Information Packages (SIPs) to support transfer and validation.

Abstract

ISO 20104:2015 specifies a Producer‑Archive Interface Specification (PAIS) to implement the Formal Definition and Transfer phases (and part of the Validation phase) of the Producer‑Archive Interface Methodology Abstract Standard (PAIMAS). It is intended to support automation and management of SIP creation, transfer and validation and to be used alongside the OAIS reference model and the XFDU packaging rules.

General information

• Status: Published (confirmed in ISO systematic review; remains current as reviewed in 2023).
• Publication date: 2015-08 (August 2015).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 49.140 (Space systems and operations).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2015).
• Number of pages: 94 pages (ISO bibliographic record).

Scope

ISO 20104:2015 applies to the formal definition and packaging of digital information objects created by a Producer for transfer to an Archive, and to the automated creation and handling of Submission Information Packages (SIPs). It is intended for use within the PAIMAS methodology and in the context of OAIS‑compliant archives and XFDU packaging rules; it does not preclude other PAIMAS implementations.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition and formal description of digital information objects to be transferred (metadata and structural description).
• Creation and packaging of Submission Information Packages (SIPs) designed for reliable transfer and validation.
• Interoperation with the OAIS reference model (ingest, preservation/validation workflows).
• Alignment with PAIMAS methodology phases (Preliminary, Formal Definition, Transfer, Validation).
• Guidance for using XFDU (XML Formatted Data Unit) structures and construction rules as the packaging mechanism.
• Recommendations to support automation, conformance checking and archive-side validation of incoming SIPs.

Typical use and users

Primary users are space agencies, mission data producers, science archive managers, data centre operators and vendors of archival/ingest software. Use cases include defining producer submission formats for mission data deliveries, building SIP generation tools, and implementing validation/ingest workflows in OAIS‑style archives. Secondary users include librarians, institutional archives and contractors working on long‑term preservation of space or scientific data.

Related standards

ISO 20104 is intended to be used with OAIS (ISO 14721) as the high‑level archival reference model, with the Producer‑Archive methodology standard (ISO 20652 / PAIMAS) and with the XFDU packaging rules (ISO 13527) for concrete package structure and construction. It also aligns with CCSDS recommendations adopted by ISO for space data packaging and transfer.

Keywords

Producer‑Archive Interface, PAIS, SIP, Submission Information Package, XFDU, OAIS, PAIMAS, space data, archival ingest, data packaging, transfer validation.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 20104:2015 is the Producer‑Archive Interface Specification (PAIS) standard for space data and information transfer systems, defining how Producers should describe and package digital objects for transfer to an Archive.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the formal definition of digital information objects, the structure and creation of Submission Information Packages (SIPs), and guidance to support automated transfer and validation processes within PAIMAS and OAIS contexts.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Space agencies, mission data producers, archive and data centre engineers, and software vendors implementing ingest and preservation systems for scientific and mission data.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 20104:2015 was published in August 2015 and, according to ISO's review record, was reviewed and confirmed (status current) in 2023. Users should verify the ISO catalogue for any future revisions.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is part of the ISO/TC 20/SC 13 family of space data and information transfer systems standards and is intended to work together with OAIS (ISO 14721), PAIMAS (ISO 20652) and XFDU (ISO 13527) and corresponding CCSDS recommendations.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Producer‑Archive Interface, PAIS, Submission Information Package (SIP), XFDU, OAIS, PAIMAS, data packaging, transfer validation.