Nowadays, ``archiving'' data is a widely used expression in astronomy. A number of reasons explain it, but the more obvious ones are the cost and scarcity of large modern astronomical instruments. The existence of this book is also a clue to the growing importance of this field.
Since many observatories are now considering digital archives as a way to
further the lifetime and multiply the production rate of their most valuable
instruments, the time was ripe for a review of the technology
available in this field but also, and more importantly, to insist on the
major problems of archives: the chasm between the expected
lifetime of any storage technology and that of the data.
Solutions to overcome this
problem are described. It is shown that only sound and
evolution-oriented design phase will make for a successful archive.