The diagram below describes a potential implementation plan for a NIH IC GIS pattern and presents multiple options for publishing and consuming NIH geospatial data. Data can be displayed via a GIS desktop software application (see GIS Desktop Brick) or a Virtual Globe software application (see GIS Virtual Globe Brick). Both applications allow the user to create, display, analyze, query and publish geospatial data. However, the Virtual Globe application allows the user to navigate around a 3D representation of the earth and supports the creation and display of features on the 3D model.
Geospatial data can also be accessed and displayed through a standard Web browser and Web server. The data may be served either by an in-house (see GIS Internet Mapping Server (IMS) Brick) or third party (see GIS Web Service Brick) through reference layer(s) accessed via an internet browser. A web-based GIS display may include a querying component that accesses data directly from the NIH data repositories (IMPAC II, IRDB and Data Mart) through database connectors.