This project focuses on distributed imaging applications over gigabit networks and the underlying protocols and networking technology needed to support those applications. There are two principal applications. One uses a computational optical sectioning microscope, to visualize the three-dimensional structure and function of developing organisms at the cellular level. In this application, gigabit networks are used to transfer raw data from the microscope to mass storage devices and to massively parallel image processors which synthesize the images and then transfer them (again, across the network) to display stations at various sites around the campus. The second application is in neurosciences, where 3-D data sets of the brains of individual specimens are mapped onto a labeled reference brain, to facilitate identification of significant features and comparative studies.
The network that will support these applications includes commercially available Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switches, supporting 150 Mb/s access and a novel multicast switch design that provides optimal cost/performance scaling and will support link speeds of up to 2.4 Gb/s. A high speed host-network interface device is also a key element of the network infrastructure. Research will also be carried out on the design of transport protocols suitable for supporting high performance imaging applications on gigabit networks. This work will focus on efficient handling of continuous stream, multimedia data, synchronization support for orchestrated presentations, reliable multicast transport and application-specific flow and error control mechanisms. A more complete description of the overall project goals and objectives can be found in the Distributed Imaging Project Overview
Prepared by
Jonathan Turner: jst@cs.wustl.edu
Prepared 1/18/95, Last Modified 1/18/95.