Ada products, etc., to integrate/access image system?

Ada products, etc., to integrate/access image system?

[John Walker]

We received a request for leads, and I thought I'd pass it on to you
folks.

It's from a project seeking information on implementing/upgrading a
document (flat paper) electronic image capture and retrieval system
using Ada programming language products.

The Ada system will have to integrate existing COTS and DoD-owned
technology.  It is envisioned that Ada would be used to develop any
new application necessary to obtain specific government functionality,
*and* to create seamless and expedient interoperability bwteeen COTS
programming, existed (ported) DoD-owned software, and "new" Ada
applications.

They're looking for vendor possibilities, people working with similar
projects, etc.

The images are of personnel record files, etc.

The project currently owns imaging technology to scan, index, QA, and
store digitized images on 5-1/4 worm optical platters, plus host OS
and database systems, and tape-backup system.

Software products that currently comprise the existing system
architecture are listed at the end.

They now hold approximately 20,000 lines of GFE SQL programming
developed for purposes of current system-specific functionality, and
150,000 lines of existing FORTRAN and C language programs written to a
Data General (AOS/VS) platform.  The FORTRAN and C programs provide
system statistical management information from a large Micrographics
system.

They desire to reuse or port all existing owned software above, and
have it integrated into similar comparable COTS software, along with
additional new development to implement new system software
architecture.

As stated above, Ada will be used for new application development and
to provide the integration between COTS products, existing GFE
software, and the newly developed applications written in Ada.  They
do not want or desire new code (in Ada or any other language) to
replace either COTS or existing DoD-owned software.

However, they *are* interested in learning about what work, if any, is
being done in Ada in the imaging field -- regardless of whether it
would have any impact on their project in the immediate future.

Some questions they have are:

1.  Technically, is the electronic capture and retrieval of digitized
images possible utilizing Ada?

2.  If so, are Ada-based products currently available in the
commercial sector to support digitized imaging technology?  If so what
are they?  Please provide documentation resources, vendor names, etc.

3.  What impacts would you foresee on their current and/or planned
environment?  (Described below.)

POC: Larry Trace
     Bureau of Naval Personnel
     2 Navy Annex, Room 4703
     Washington, DC 20370-5000
     703/614-1004, fax: 703/693-6905.

Sorry, Mr Trace has no Internet address.  For e-mail, send comments to
me (walkerj@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu); I'll forward them.

Notes on the new system:

The new system will capture approx 25,000 documents daily, will
require support for image compression/decompression utilizing CCITT
Group 4 and JPEG algorithms, will require capture of photo documents
utilizing 256 shades of greyscale, and will support both hardcopy
printing and comfiche output.  When fully operational, the new system
is to support 1100 networked on-line and multimedia end users.

The new system will require the capability to transmit digitized
images across a local-area network for on-line (worm) retrieval at
user workstations; the new system will use MS-Windows (Multi-tasking)
environment.  The network is FDDI/Ethernet, Novell Netware OS
utilizing TCP/IP, SNA, SNMP, routing protocols.

Utilizing the information provided, can you provide any possible
costing impacts if the system is programmed in Ada vice some other
non-Ada environment?

The current system:

Host:
Informix        Informix 5.0 on-line developer, on-line optical I-Star
                developer, ESQL-C developer, I-SQL developer, 4GL
                developer, 4GL compiler-runtime, SQL runtime,
                ESQL/C runtime, Star runtime.

Legato          Legato Jukebox module, Legato networker.

Sun             Sun Solaris 2.3, Media/CD-ROM, C-compiler.

CptOptLink      optical interface kit

Computer output to microfilm workstation:
IGI             EBR controller

Optivision      JPEG software

Improvision     scanner drivers

User workstation:
Microsoft       Microsoft C++, Windows developer kit, DOS, MS Windows
                3.2

Novell          LAN Workplace

Optivision      JPEG software

Pixel Trans     pixel translation (Pix-Tool)

Plexus          Workstation developer kit, Soft AIP development,
                XDP-production, SoftAIP production

Sequi Data      Deskew Module - CDG

Again, POC: Larry Trace (mailing address above), 703/614-1004,
fax: 703/693-6905.

For e-mail, send comments to me (walkerj@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu); I'll
forward them.

Thanks,

John Walker
AdaIC, 800/232-4211, 703/685-1477, fax 703/685-7019

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