PHAIDRA: A Journey Towards Scalable Open Repositories

PHAIDRA [1] is the repository for the permanent, secure storage of digital assets at the University of Vienna. Since its launch in 2008, the repository has evolved constantly and seen significant transformation. What began as a monolithic internal system has developed into a modern, microservices-based open-source solution, developed in close collaboration with the user community. The latest fully dockerized version enables faster, simpler, and automated installation, while modular metadata workflows ensure flexibility to meet diverse research needs. Supported by the migration from Fedora 3 to Fedora 6, these advancements ensure compliance with FAIR principles and long-term adaptability, while making PHAIDRA a scalable and versatile repository platform that can easily be adapted for various institutional needs. This poster outlines the stages of PHAIDRA's evolution and architectural rebirth. It will visualise how the project addressed limitations of its original design and contemporary challenges in repository management. Key advancements include enhanced metadata flexibility through linked data standards (e.g., JSON-LD), alignment with FAIR principles and scalable solutions for long-term sustainability and adaptability through Docker. These efforts make PHAIDRA a versatile platform for diverse use cases - from theses and Open Educational Resources (OER) to digital archives.