Open-source, server-side web archiving

Use ReproZip to capture the backend assets. This requires a Linux operating system setup and for the web app you want to archive to work/run as expected.

Execute ReproZip at the same time that you run the dynamic web app. ReproZip uses ptrace, an internal Unix system utility that lets one process (ReproZip) observe and control the execution of another process (the web app). ReproZip notes down everything that the web app touches as it executes into a SQLite database that is then used to create a configuration .yaml file with lots of administrative and technical metadata about what happened during the web app’s execution. ReproZip will trace and record what version of which software was used, what operating system was used, any input and output files, and provenance of what runs in what order (in case multiple commands are used to get the app running).

You can edit the config file before the package is created, but that is generally discouraged because it can affect how the app runs later down the line.

After tracing, use ReproZip again to pack the web app and all its dependencies into the .rpz file.

Once your .rpz is uploaded on ReproServer, follow the instructions to record the front-end assets using automatic recording or manual recording. Interact with the site as you want. When done, click the button to end the recording and save your .wacz. The export is an .rpz with a .wacz inside

Your preservation-ready .rpz file is now ready! Anyone with the .rpz can upload it to ReproServer to interact with the archived site. Share the URL to the replayed app on ReproServer with others, or deposit the .rpz file in an institutional repository for long-term preservation.