LUNARINFO: A Data Archiving and Retrieving System for the Circumlunar Explorer Based on XML/Web Services

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Abstract It is essential to build a modern information management system to store and manage data of our circumlunar explorer in order to realize the scientific objectives. It is difficult for an information system based on traditional distributed technology to communicate information and work together among heterogeneous systems in order to meet the new requirement of Internet development. XML and Web Services, because of their open standards and self‐containing properties, have changed the mode of information organization and data management. Now they can provide a good solution for building an open, extendable, and compatible information management system, and facilitate interchanging and transferring of data among heterogeneous systems. On the basis of the three‐tiered browse/server architectures and the Oracle 9i Database as an information storage platform, we have designed and implemented a data archiving and retrieval system for the circumlunar explorer—LUNARINFO. We have also successfully realized the integration between LUNARINFO and the cosmic dust database system. LUNARINFO consists of five function modules for data management, information publishing, system management, data retrieval, and interface integration. Based on XML and Web Services, it not only is an information database system for archiving, long‐term storing, retrieving and publication of lunar reference data related to the circumlunar explorer, but also provides data web Services which can be easily developed by various expert groups and connected to the common information system to realize data resource integration.