Web server access to report images on CD-ROM

[Robert J. Joachim]

The following describes a configuration we have in mind.  I'd appreciate
feedback from anyone who has considered or done something similar.  (NOTE: this
is being cross-posted to DIGLIB, CDROMLAN, and WEB4LIB.)


What we want to do:

Provide access to multi-page report images from a Web-based metadata record;
(reports are internal technical documents), Storage of images to be
optical-based.

Proposed storage medium: CD-ROM (we are already in the process of mastering
report images on CDs, and have been doing it for some time.)

Proposed format: Adobe Acrobat (Multi-page, Text/Image PDF )

Proposed Web/image server and OS: Windows NT


Use a utility such as SmartCD (Smart Storage, Inc.) to bind multiple CDs into a
single virtual volume (with images still stored on CDs, not copied to magnetic
medium).


Here's the real question:

Once we have established a single volume of multiple CDs, we would like to make
that volume accessible as part of a Web server directory structure.  Using some
standard Web server software (TBD) on the server that houses our CD
drives/tower, is it possible to configure the Web server to include both the
magnetic drive/directories (for other dynamic data), plus the CD volume?

The idea is that the user would access a set of report images for a particular
report using some standard URL (e.g.,
http://Some_server/Some_directory/Some_report_file.pdf );  the user should not
know or care whether the report image is stored and retrieved from a CD.  In
fact, depending on how we code the URL, the user may just be clicking on an
icon to retrieve the image, and may not be aware of the full URL, anyway. 

Note: Indexing/retrieval is not an issue in this question--we have that covered
by using a metadata record in a text retrieval system (BASIS Web server,
running on a UNIX-based server separate from the CD server), with a URL
link/pointer from the meta record to the report image. (We are doing that now,
in a limited test mode, but with the URL pointing to an image stored on
magnetic medium.)

Note: assume we will be using fast CD drives, and that the demand for accss to
report images would not be overwhelming.  (Also, this question does NOT involve
the topic of 'jump starting' a CD interface from a Web page using launching
utilities--that's a different topic altogether.)

Has anyone evaluated such a configuration or actually configured a system
similarly--i.e., direct, Web-access to images stored on optical media?  If so,
in what OS environment, and what software/tools did you use?  Any
advice/lessons learned on this type of configuration?

Thanks,

Rob Joachim
MITRE Corporation, Corporate Information Management
MS-W115, 1820 Dolley Madison Blvd., McLean, VA 22102-3481 USA
Phone: 703-883-7706 Fax: 703-883-1250 E-mail: rjoachim at mitre.org