Abstract: A picture archiving and communication system (“PACS”) includes plural core components arranged in a cluster. These core components include an archive station which includes long-term storage for storing image data, and a reviewing station which includes a display for displaying images based on received image data. Also included is a network gateway which interfaces to a non-core component so as to receive image data therefrom, and which routes the image data to at least one of the archive station and the reviewing station based on a set of rules in the network gateway. Finally, a database server manages access to the image data, and stores information relating to the image data.