Architectures and modeling of distributed image information systems

Nowadays many applications use images to complete the information they are distributing. The basic architectures of image distribution systems in applications for E-Commerce, media agencies, electronic parts catalogues, quality assurance and medicine have many coincidences. Images are stored in databases or image archives, processed in middle-tiers and transferred over networks to be viewed on clients having different operating systems. The present study analyzes architectures that are common for the named applications. Current systems use database server for storage of information linked to images, archive-server for image storage, application servers realizing workflow and application logic, and clients connected with platform independent web technologies. In middle-tiers component based middleware is used to distribute objects and to communicate between different tiers. Analysis of the special needs of applications for distributing images leads to an UML-design of a general model that fulfills requirements and features common to all these applications. Java-Applets are best to view and process images inside web browsers. Image data acquisition, conversion and compression as well as conference mode can be implemented with server-applications on a distributing server connected to Java-Applets on clients. A modeling and implementation of an image distributing system for medicine evaluates the model and proofs the findings. With small modifications this system can he used for other application areas like quality assurance or electronic part catalogues as well.