Joseph Futrelle, Robert E. McGrath, Raymond L. Plante, and Joel Plutchak (NCSA)
Reference URL: http://emerge.ncsa.uiuc.edu
Search across distributed heterogenous scientific data collections such as collections of astronomy data presents problems of heterogeneity and metadata standardization. Our approach is to use the ANSI/NISO Z39.50 standard for IR and to define new Z39.50 profiles for domains in astronomy. Our testbed is the Astronomy Digitial Image Library (ADIL). Our ``pizzazzd'' software has been developed to act as a Z39.50 server front-end for arbitrary data sources such as relational databases and including the ADIL. Our ``Gazebo'' multi-protocol search gateway acts as a middle layer between a lightweight Java client and Z39.50 servers such as pizzazzd/ADIL and numerous bibliographic data services such as library catalogs. Because of Gazebo's flexible configuration, and pizzazzd's extensibility to the ADIL, a single small Java client can seamlessly yet powerfully search the ADIL and various other kinds of distributed data collections.