PACS database architecture and design.

PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) database design requires careful understanding of the data and processing needs of radiologists, referring physicians, radiology staff, administrators, and researchers. Due to access requirements, the physical implementation for the management of small text data sets differs from the implementation strategy for large image data sets (centralized vs. distributed storage strategies). In this paper we discuss the database structure, storage architecture, file placement strategies, and administration considerations of the UCLA PACS.