ArcIMS 4.0.1, which began shipping in February 2003, is highlighted by the expansion of the Metadata Services capabilities. ArcIMS, in combination with ArcGIS, now gives users everything they need to manage metadata and create their own geography network.

ArcIMS Metadata Services open up an efficient means of publishing geospatial metadata over the Internet and allow users to quickly search for the data they need. With the release of ArcIMS 4.0.1, Esri is introducing new metadata harvesting tools. Using these tools, contributors to a metadata clearinghouse can export their metadata, which is then stored in a centralized node. This centralized node acts as a community portal (for example, a state-level geography network). When a search is initiated, rather than propagating a search that goes out to all nodes, the search simply goes to the centralized node, which then points to the exact location of the desired data.

ArcIMS Metadata Services also include a Z39.50 Connector. Z39.50 is a standard communications protocol that is used by library systems and research institutions, including the Library of Congress and the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), to search for and retrieve data from online databases. With the ArcIMS Z39.50 Connector, users can make their geospatial metadata available to any Z39.50 client application using an ArcIMS Metadata Service. In other words, ArcIMS Metadata Services can become a node on the NSDI Clearinghouse network at no extra cost.

Other ArcIMS 4.0.1 enhancements include the following:

• A new ArcIMS Metadata Explorer sample. The Metadata Explorer is a JavaServer Pages (JSP) application used to build a browser-based means of searching for data.
• Utilities for exporting and importing metadata. These utilities allow users to share metadata between Metadata Services and leverage the metadata that is available in other databases.
• An updated version of the ArcIMS ArcMap Server. The ArcIMS ArcMap Server extends core ArcIMS capabilities to include ArcGIS data access and cartography.
• A new Java Connector sample viewer. The Java Connector sample viewer is a template application that can be customized and used as a springboard for development of more complex Java Connector applications.
• Support for the SGI IRIX operating system.

In addition, many steps in the ArcIMS installation process have been automated for common Web server and servlet engine combinations.

For more information on ArcIMS, visit www.esri.com/arcims, call Esri at 1-800-447-9778, call your Esri regional office (to locate your regional office, visit www.esri.com/usa), or contact your local reseller (to locate a reseller near you, visit www.esri.com/partners). Outside the United States, contact your local Esri distributor; see www.esri.com/international.