Background

In November 1992 CAASD started an initiative to support and promote software and information reuse within the center. The CAASD Resource Discovery System is a network information discovery and retrieval system built from Internet resource discovery tools and implemented as a client-server computing model. The system supports an asset library that is implemented across distributed, heterogeneous computer platforms. Client software is available on a wide variety of computer platforms, including VT220s, IBM PCs, Macintoshes, NeXT workstations, UNIX workstations, and X Window terminals. Server software is available for UNIX platforms. Client-server communication occurs over a network using TCP/IP. The major Internet resource discovery tools used in implementing the CAASD Resource Discovery System are the Internet Gopher and Wide Area Information Servers (WAIS). Descriptions of these tools and how they are used within the CAASD Resource Discovery System are presented below. The CAASD Resource Discovery System has been available for on-line access since January 1993, and has since received wide support at all levels in the corporation.