We discuss the steps and efforts required to secure the continued analysis and data access for the HERMES experiment after the end of the active collaboration period. The model for such an activity has been developed within the framework of the DPHEP initiative in a close collaboration of HERA experiments and the DESY IT. For HERMES the preservation scheme foresees a possibility of full data production chain starting from the raw data, as well as MC productions using existing and future generators. In that scheme, the main analysis data format to preserve are microDSTs based on ADAMO tables wrapped in a special portability layer DAD. The necessary software packages are preserved and validated in a special virtual environment developed by the IT, to allow a flowless porting of the software to future OS and compiler libraries if need be. In parallel, reliable storage and access to relevant documentation is pursued. The lessons we learned from the past may help currently active collaborations to avoid the penalties that come for starting late.