EOSC Software Heritage Mirror

Overview

To safeguard against information loss and streamline access to the collective software knowledge, Software Heritage has developed a network of mirrors.
A mirror is a read-only replica of the Software Heritage archive — a comprehensive, ever-growing collection of publicly available source code from around the world.

One such mirror, hosted by GRNET in Greece, was deployed during the FAIRCORE4EOSC project and is now fully operational.
GRNET’s Mirror functions as a complete and independently managed copy of the Software Heritage archive. It operates in agreement with, yet independently from, the Software Heritage organization, while remaining fully synchronized.

For researchers, the presence of GRNET’s Mirror offers significant advantages.
This addition to the Software Heritage Mirror network supports the mission of the Software Heritage organisation by providing geographically closer access points.
It therefore reduces latency and improves download speeds, enabling smoother and faster exploration of software histories.

Researchers can:

Trace the evolution of code
Verify published results
Reuse legacy software in new contexts
— all with confidence that the information will remain accessible over time.

Beyond immediate research needs, GRNET’s Mirror also reinforces the long-term preservation of digital knowledge.
By distributing copies of the archive, they offer redundancy and resilience against data loss, whether due to technical failure or geopolitical events.

In doing so, they support the mission of Software Heritage: to collect, preserve, and share the source code that underpins modern science, technology, and culture.

EXPLORE THE TOOL

GRNET’s Mirror of the Software Heritage Archive (MSHA) is a read-only replica of the main Software Heritage Archive, designed to provide public access to ingested source code.
While it does not support all features of the main platform, it offers essential functionalities that make the archive accessible and useful to the research and developer communities.

The Mirror enables users to:

Browse the archive through a web-based interface, allowing exploration of the vast collection of source code snapshots
Search by origin URL, helping users locate the exact repositories or code origins archived over time
Access a limited public API, allowing programmatic queries for metadata and code content (usage is rate-limited)

Synchronization with the main archive occurs constantly, ensuring the mirror remains largely current, with only minor delays depending on the volume and timing of new data ingested.

By offering regional access to core features, GRNET’s Mirror:

Enhances availability
Reduces access latency
Contributes to the robustness and redundancy of the global Software Heritage preservation infrastructure

GRNET’s Mirror is a new addition to the global Software Heritage network, designed to preserve and ensure open access to software source code.
It strengthens software availability, protects against data loss, and guarantees that critical digital knowledge remains accessible to all.

As an onboarded service to the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), GRNET’s Mirror supports the open sharing and discovery of research software across Europe.