A web service-based Grid portal for Edgebreaker compression.
BACKGROUND
In health applications, and elsewhere, 3D data sets are increasingly accessed through the Internet. To reduce the transfer time while maintaining an unaltered 3D model, adequate compression and decompression techniques are needed. Recently, Grid technologies have been integrated with Web Services technologies to provide a framework for interoperable application-to-application interaction.


OBJECTIVE
The paper describes an implementation of the Edgebreaker compression technique exploiting web services technology and presents a novel approach for using such services in a Grid Portal. The Grid portal, developed at the CACT/ISUFI of the University of Lecce, allows the processing and delivery of biomedical images (CT--computerized tomography--and MRI--magnetic resonance images) in a distributed environment, using the power and security of computational Grids.


METHODS
The Edgebreaker Compression Web Service has been deployed on a Grid portal and allows compressing and decompressing 3D data sets using the Globus toolkit GSI (Globus Security Infrastructure) protocol. Moreover, the classical algorithm has been modified extending the compression to files containing more than one object.


CONCLUSIONS
An implementation of the Edgebreaker compression technique and related experimental results are presented. A novel approach for using the compression web service in a Grid portal allowing storing and preprocessing of huge 3D data sets, and subsequent efficient transmission of results for remote visualization is also described.
Aloisio
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Center for Advanced Computational Techniques/ISUFI, Dept. of Innovation Engineering, University of Lecce, via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy. giovanni.aloisio@unile.it
Barba
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MC
Blasi
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Cafaro
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Fiore
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Mirto
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D000465:Algorithms; D003628:Database Management Systems; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D020407:Internet / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007558:Italy; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D016730:Program Development; D011873:Radiology Information Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018511:Systems Integration; D019112:Teleradiology / Q000295:instrumentation*