The system utilizes standard WWW browsers as a front end to access multimedia data, allowing cross-platform access and retrieval to the largest possible community. A variety of intuitive search techniques are provided, including free-text searches, specific keyword and value selections, and targeted field searches. At the core of the system is a layered set of open standards that work together to ensure that archived data and metadata can be widely exchanged and interpreted by both users and software applications. Metadata is information about the data which provides a description of the content, format, utility, and quality of the data. These standards provide a foundation for labeling every item of data to be archived, independent of the archive media.
Standards also exist for CD-ROM volume designs and index preparation.
The Data Dictionary is the heart of a set of standards for a particular domain, and includes all discipline specific keywords and categories of data together with their definitions. Data that is archived using the resulting set of standards can then be easily indexed and integrated into a retrieval system to automate searching, display, and cross-referencing of multimedia information. The JPL-developed search and retrieval software architecture is modular and tailorable to a variety of cataloging requirements. Several tasks at JPL are utilizing these cataloging standards and software, including portions of JPL's own enterprise information system. Enhancements are anticipated that will further extend the usefulness of the architecture.