IMACTS: an interactive, multiterabyte image archive

Efficient softcopy access to future intelligence imagery archives will require novel applications of a wide range of imaging technologies for mass storage, communications, pixel management, and database access. Many of the necessary hardware technologies to realize massive all-softcopy archives are just now emerging. Examples include hierarchical mass storage systems capable of storing multipetabytes of imagery, high-speed communication networks with bandwidth scalable to gigabits/second, high-performance servers and clients with intelligent image caching strategies and embedded image compression, and powerful image and metadata query, browse, and access methods. We describe a testbed designed to investigate a multiterabyte "archive-to-the-desktop" all-softcopy environment for remote sensing imagery. This paper presents an overview of the IMACTS system including the functional architecture, data caching model, concept of operations, and software architecture. It focuses on the key issues, challenges, and the solutions developed for each of the IMACTS technologies including hierarchical mass storage, image communications, pixel management, object management, image access, and performance monitoring.