Definition
The role played by those persons, or client systems, who interact with OAIS services to find preserved information of interest and to access that information in detail. This can include other OAISes, as well as internal OAIS persons or systems. A special class of Consumers is the Designated Community. The Designated Community is the set of Consumers who should be able to understand the preserved information. A given individual or system may act in the role of both a Consumer and a Producer.
One OAIS may take the role of Consumer to another OAIS; an example is when the first OAIS decides to rely on the other OAIS for a type of information it seldom needs and chooses not to preserve locally.
Source
Consultative Committee on Space Data Systems. Open Archival Information System (OAIS) recommended practice. CCSDS 650.0-M-2.
Related terms
Designated Community