Image: National Archives

In 2023, the National Archives of Finland began planning to replace the current AHAA system. This service provides its various clients with the ability to produce, maintain, and disseminate cataloging and descriptive information, or metadata, of archival materials. Metadata is crucial for managing and providing access to the extensive archival materials of the National Archives.

Challenge

The development project for the new information system requires careful investigation and planning to address the challenges posed by the current system. The National Archives wanted to assess the functionality of the database structure before starting other implementation work.

Solution and Implementation

The National Archives decided to conduct an audit of the current database solution with us. This included a review of the database schema and the queries used. The goal was to identify the strengths, weaknesses, and improvement opportunities of the current database solution. The project began with a kickoff meeting where the client’s objectives were defined and practical arrangements, such as credentials and detailed discussions, were agreed upon.

Audit Results

The audit resulted in documentation that could be used in both the planning of the development project’s procurement and its subsequent implementation phases. The documentation included an analysis of whether a database migration was necessary to improve performance, and if not, a prioritized list of the most significant improvements in the database schema and query logic. Additionally, the document presented suggestions for schema improvements that do not require a full database migration. The audit results were presented to all stakeholders in a joint meeting where the findings of the audit were reviewed.

Importance of the Audit

The AHAA metadata database contains a vast amount of data, with several tables holding millions of rows of information. Therefore, the audit was an essential step that enabled the National Archives to effectively prepare for the system implementation in terms of database structure performance and sustainability.

“The experts at Monad handled the assignment very well, and communication flowed smoothly between both business and software development representatives. As part of the report we commissioned, we also received several good improvement suggestions that we can utilize as part of the renewal work,” says Senior Inspector Miia Herrala from the National Archives.