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The Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS/ICST) is embarking on a research program into the life expectancy properties of optical digital data disks (0D3). This paper discusses lifetime concepts in a general sense and some philosophies and objectives which will underlie the NBS/ICST archival program when it is initiated. Whereas the associated OD3 systems including optical disk drives, servos, lasers, and optics are usually replaceable (providing that they do not fall into the one-of-a-kind category), data contents which are lost due to the OD3 media failure may be irretrievable. Therefore, the principal archival lifetime factors to be investigated by NBS are related primarily to the life expectancies of the OD3 media and media structures. The initial program efforts will be towards determining the system independent degradation and failure mechanisms of the media materials through static optical, chemical, and physical testing. Subsequently, where possible these static test results will be correlated with the results derived from dynamic tests of the system dependent degradation and failure mechanisms of the media. These program activities will serve as the background for the development of a quantitative OD3 lifetime prediction theory and an archival care and handling methodology.
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