Meta-Data Adapter: A Way to Enable Spatial Information Data Grid

Spatial information data grid is powerful for distributed data sharing and collaborating. But the difference among meta-data produced by space agencies around the world makes it difficult to re-organize data and share them when enabling spatial information data grid. In this paper, a way named meta-data adapter is proposed, which can interpreter original meta-data with different syntax and semantic rules to required meta-data so that they can be organized as a distributed, heterogeneous, synergic, uniform interfaced, and inherent features based virtual remote sensing data catalog. Based on the meta-data adapter, spatial information data grid can be enabled. The experience of ldquoremote sensing data distribution system for WenChuan earthquake rescuingrdquo amazingly quick founding shows that meta-data adapter is a powerful and economical way to solve the problem of meta-data difference and enable spatial information grid.