About the ERA System
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has been developing, testing, and refining the Electronic Records Archives (ERA) System since 2005. ERA is a technology system designed to preserve and manage NARA’s electronic records and to manage the lifecycle of paper records and other holdings, including support for records retention schedules and the accessioning process for all Federal records. ERA is being developed in increments between 2005 and 2011 to build on prior accomplishments and add capabilities and capacity over time.
What We Have Accomplished
NARA has completed the production Data Center and Systems Operations Center and has deployed three instances of ERA. One of NARA's primary challenges was to preserve different types of records along with the processes and documentation required for each type. ERA accomplished this by designing separate subsystems, or instances, for each category of records governed by different rules, with shared access to universal services, such as public access and preservation. The three instances are as follows:
- ERA Status and Accomplishments
- Federal Records Instance (Base Instance)
Deployed June 2008
- Executive Office of the President Instance (EOP Instance)
Deployed December 2008
- Congressional Records Instance (CRI Instance)
Deployed December 2009