diff --git a/src/api/artifact/abstractor/resolver/image/index.go b/src/api/artifact/abstractor/resolver/image/index.go
index c1125c1c3..b1cc5d454 100644
--- a/src/api/artifact/abstractor/resolver/image/index.go
+++ b/src/api/artifact/abstractor/resolver/image/index.go
@@ -12,15 +12,20 @@ package image
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/manifest/manifestlist"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/api/artifact/abstractor/resolver"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/common/utils/log"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/pkg/artifact"
+	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/pkg/q"
 	v1 "github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
 )
 
 func init() {
-	rslver := &indexResolver{}
+	rslver := &indexResolver{
+		artMgr: artifact.Mgr,
+	}
 	if err := resolver.Register(rslver, v1.MediaTypeImageIndex, manifestlist.MediaTypeManifestList); err != nil {
 		log.Errorf("failed to register resolver for artifact %s: %v", rslver.ArtifactType(), err)
 		return
@@ -29,14 +34,39 @@ func init() {
 
 // indexResolver resolves artifact with OCI index and docker manifest list
 type indexResolver struct {
+	artMgr artifact.Manager
 }
 
 func (i *indexResolver) ArtifactType() string {
 	return ArtifactTypeImage
 }
 
-func (i *indexResolver) Resolve(ctx context.Context, manifest []byte, artifact *artifact.Artifact) error {
-	// TODO implement
-	// how to make sure the artifact referenced by the index has already been saved in database
+func (i *indexResolver) Resolve(ctx context.Context, manifest []byte, art *artifact.Artifact) error {
+	index := &v1.Index{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(manifest, index); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// populate the referenced artifacts
+	for _, mani := range index.Manifests {
+		digest := mani.Digest.String()
+		_, arts, err := i.artMgr.List(ctx, &q.Query{
+			Keywords: map[string]interface{}{
+				"RepositoryID": art.RepositoryID,
+				"Digest":       digest,
+			},
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		// make sure the child artifact exist
+		if len(arts) == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("the referenced artifact with digest %s not found under repository %d",
+				digest, art.RepositoryID)
+		}
+		art.References = append(art.References, &artifact.Reference{
+			ChildID:  arts[0].ID,
+			Platform: mani.Platform,
+		})
+	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/src/api/artifact/abstractor/resolver/image/index_test.go b/src/api/artifact/abstractor/resolver/image/index_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..151e3244b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/api/artifact/abstractor/resolver/image/index_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package image
+
+import (
+	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/pkg/artifact"
+	htesting "github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/testing"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/suite"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+type indexResolverTestSuite struct {
+	suite.Suite
+	resolver *indexResolver
+	artMgr   *htesting.FakeArtifactManager
+}
+
+func (i *indexResolverTestSuite) SetupTest() {
+	i.artMgr = &htesting.FakeArtifactManager{}
+	i.resolver = &indexResolver{
+		artMgr: i.artMgr,
+	}
+
+}
+
+func (i *indexResolverTestSuite) TestArtifactType() {
+	i.Assert().Equal(ArtifactTypeImage, i.resolver.ArtifactType())
+}
+
+func (i *indexResolverTestSuite) TestResolve() {
+	manifest := `{
+  "manifests": [
+    {
+      "digest": "sha256:92c7f9c92844bbbb5d0a101b22f7c2a7949e40f8ea90c8b3bc396879d95e899a",
+      "mediaType": "application/vnd.docker.distribution.manifest.v2+json",
+      "platform": {
+        "architecture": "amd64",
+        "os": "linux"
+      },
+      "size": 524
+    },
+    {
+      "digest": "sha256:e5785cb0c62cebbed4965129bae371f0589cadd6d84798fb58c2c5f9e237efd9",
+      "mediaType": "application/vnd.docker.distribution.manifest.v2+json",
+      "platform": {
+        "architecture": "arm",
+        "os": "linux",
+        "variant": "v5"
+      },
+      "size": 525
+    },
+    {
+      "digest": "sha256:50b8560ad574c779908da71f7ce370c0a2471c098d44d1c8f6b513c5a55eeeb1",
+      "mediaType": "application/vnd.docker.distribution.manifest.v2+json",
+      "platform": {
+        "architecture": "arm",
+        "os": "linux",
+        "variant": "v7"
+      },
+      "size": 525
+    },
+    {
+      "digest": "sha256:963612c5503f3f1674f315c67089dee577d8cc6afc18565e0b4183ae355fb343",
+      "mediaType": "application/vnd.docker.distribution.manifest.v2+json",
+      "platform": {
+        "architecture": "arm64",
+        "os": "linux",
+        "variant": "v8"
+      },
+      "size": 525
+    },
+    {
+      "digest": "sha256:85dc5fbe16214366748ebe9d7cc73bc42d61d19d61fe05f01e317d278c2287ed",
+      "mediaType": "application/vnd.docker.distribution.manifest.v2+json",
+      "platform": {
+        "architecture": "386",
+        "os": "linux"
+      },
+      "size": 527
+    },
+    {
+      "digest": "sha256:8aaea2a718a29334caeaf225716284ce29dc17418edba98dbe6dafea5afcda16",
+      "mediaType": "application/vnd.docker.distribution.manifest.v2+json",
+      "platform": {
+        "architecture": "ppc64le",
+        "os": "linux"
+      },
+      "size": 525
+    },
+    {
+      "digest": "sha256:577ad4331d4fac91807308da99ecc107dcc6b2254bc4c7166325fd01113bea2a",
+      "mediaType": "application/vnd.docker.distribution.manifest.v2+json",
+      "platform": {
+        "architecture": "s390x",
+        "os": "linux"
+      },
+      "size": 525
+    },
+    {
+      "digest": "sha256:351e40a9ab7ca6818dfbf9c967d1dd15599438edc41189e3d4d87eeffba5b8bf",
+      "mediaType": "application/vnd.docker.distribution.manifest.v2+json",
+      "platform": {
+        "architecture": "amd64",
+        "os": "windows",
+        "os.version": "10.0.17763.914"
+      },
+      "size": 1124
+    }
+  ],
+  "mediaType": "application/vnd.docker.distribution.manifest.list.v2+json",
+  "schemaVersion": 2
+}`
+	art := &artifact.Artifact{}
+	i.artMgr.On("List").Return(1, []*artifact.Artifact{
+		{
+			ID: 1,
+		},
+	}, nil)
+	err := i.resolver.Resolve(nil, []byte(manifest), art)
+	i.Require().Nil(err)
+	i.artMgr.AssertExpectations(i.T())
+	i.Assert().Len(art.References, 8)
+	i.Assert().Equal(int64(1), art.References[0].ChildID)
+	i.Assert().Equal("amd64", art.References[0].Platform.Architecture)
+}
+
+func TestIndexResolverTestSuite(t *testing.T) {
+	suite.Run(t, &indexResolverTestSuite{})
+}