Project Title:

Universal Book Management System

07.08-7978
900660
Universal Book Management System

Abstract:

NASA space scientists tend to use integrated data of multiple types. For example,
the observations collected by the EXOSAT Satellite are made up of database rows,
images, spreadsheets (spectra, lightcurves), text indexes, etc. Also, the different
data types come from heterogeneous management systems. For example, databases may
be stored in Ingres, Sybase or Oracle; text in Troff, Tek, ASCII, etc. The purpose
of this project is the development of a universal book management system (UBMS) which
presents a global view of integrated data types in terms of a virtual "book" object.
It will also be built atop of the NASA developed DAVID system to support access of
data from heterogeneous management systems. In addition, UBMS will support program
callable utilities so that user specific applications (e.g., High-Energy Astrophysics
Science Archive Research Center) can be built from it. In Phase I, the UBMS will
be designed, a subsystem prototype will be built and demonstrated on a relevant multiple
type data set (e.g. EXOSAT date), and a demonstration will be presented on how UBMS
can support the building of user specific applications (e.g., High-Energy Astrophysics
Science Archive Research Center). The thrust of Phase II will be the implementation
of the UBMS design developed in Phase I and its integration with the NASA developed
DAVID system for accessing heterogeneous distributed data.
Results of this project can benefit current NASA and other similar applications.
Time, manpower, and cost savings along with the flexibility and simplicity for access
of multiple-type heterogeneous, distributed environments are major benefits of this
work.
multiple-type data, heterogeneous distributed data, virtual book model, program callable,
DAVID system, user-friendly interface