System Architecture
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The architecture of the IPR's
distributed database system consists of three major components:
- Archives, that is, local databases using the IPR containing descriptions
and images of papers and watermarks and served to the World Wide Web
- a search engine that enables searching of all the archives with
a single search
- a WWW interface that enables data entry as well as searching.
The architecture of the IPR's distributed database system presumes that participating archives utilize homogeneous databases, that is, databases structured on the same schema as that developed for the IPR.
Arrows indicate direction of flow of information,
e.g., data entry from inputter to database;
query from browser to database,
response from database to browser.
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EXPLANATIONS:
Web server: receives search parameters or data entered by inputter, and sends them to Middleware as STDIN (standard input) data stream
CGI Program: an interface between web server and middleware; translates data for middleware into API Standard commands or query results (API = "Application Programming Interface")
Middleware: generates a database-specific query or converts data for inputting into database-specific input
Database: Contains paper descriptions, watermark images, and related data about paper bearing objects; currently implemented on Filemaker Pro 6.0
Presentation: responses to the searcher or inputter are converted by the CGI Program from Standard API results (generated by the Middleware) into XML. XML is then read directly by some Web Servers, or is converted into HTML, using XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation) programs, for Web browsers.
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