Which process involves ensuring the usability of digital files over time?

The process that involves ensuring the usability of digital files over time is digital preservation. Digital preservation encompasses various strategies and actions aimed at maintaining the accessibility and usability of digital content long into the future, despite changes in technology or potential data degradation.

This process includes techniques like format migration, which is a specific method within digital preservation that deals with changing digital file formats to ensure that content remains accessible as technology evolves. However, while format migration focuses on individual files, digital preservation encompasses a broader range of practices, including metadata management, digital storage strategies, and periodic refreshes of digital materials.

Additionally, content migration refers specifically to moving data from one system or environment to another and may not inherently include long-term usability considerations. Accessioning is the initial process of formally accepting and recording materials into a collection, which doesn't directly pertain to ongoing usability over time. Therefore, digital preservation distinctly integrates these aspects to ensure continued access and usability of digital files into the future.