The MSS is not a file server, and clients such as middleware must not use it as such. Middleware must use disk cache management to locally buffer file traffic to and from the MSS. Repeated reads of data should be satisfied from the middleware's disk cache as much as possible. The disk cache should be sized appropriately. Do not write temporary data to the MSS.

Data providers wanting to provide web access to NCAR data assets that are archived on the MSS should do everything they can to hide the underlying MSS file and directory pathname structure from end clients. Since many middleware web applications tend to abstract from files, this should not pose any heavy additional burden on the data provider.

Since the computer systems that host middleware servers often also use the MSS to back up their filesystems, data providers must be careful to specifically exclude backing up those cache areas which contain copies of data already archived on the MSS. Failure to do so can (and has) result(ed) in significant redundant backing up of MSS data, and its associated charges.

The creation of more than 5,000 files in a day is a heavy load, and users requiring this rate of data production are encouraged to submit a request to the CISL Customer Support (see CISL Customer Support web site for contact methods) to obtain consultation.

Users wanting to offload more than 100 GB of data should submit a request to the CISL Customer Support to obtain consultation. User options and guidelines for offloading data are discussed at the Offloading MSS Files web site.