The repository shall have specifications for how the AIPs are stored down to the bit level.

This is necessary in order to ensure that the information can be extracted from the AIP over the long-term.

Documentation of the format of AIPs; EAST and Data Entity Dictionary Specification Language (DEDSL) descriptions of the data components (see references [B6] and [B7]).

The repository should specify the Representation information down to the bit level of each AIP component and must specify how the separate components are packaged together. The Representation Information must be available for each AIP and must be appropriately linked to the AIP. Often, repositories are tempted to describe AIP content only down to a level where a program will then be used to convert the information to a form understandable to their Designated Communities. However, if those programs ever fail to operate, then the information would be lost in all the AIPs that relied on that program.

Definition of AIP fully addresses AIP specifications and storage.

The Preservation and Storage section goes into further detail.