Giga view parallel image server performance analysis

Professionals in various fields such as medical imaging, biology and civil engineering require rapid access to huge amounts of uncompressed pixmap image data. Multi-media interfaces further increase the need for large image databases. In order to fulfill these requirements, the GigaView parallel image server architecture relies on arrays of intelligent disk nodes, each disk node being composed of one processor and one disk. This contribution analyzes through simulation and experimentation the behavior of the GigaView under single and multiple requests, and compares it to the behavior of RAID servers. It evaluates image visualization window access times under various parameters such as load factors and the number of cooperating disk nodes. Under single request, the GigaView image server can be modeled as a single high-throughput low-latency secondary storage device. Under multiple requests, the notions of utilization and maximum sustainable throughput define accurately the behavior of the GigaView.