Storage Area Network (SAN) deployment plans for CDP/ESG
There are a number of planned FY2006 activities for the Community Data Portal/ Earth System Grid (CDP/ESG) shared file system. Of supreme importance is finding the capability to share datasets it currently provides with supercomputers and data analysis systems. This currently cannot be done since the firewall divides the external production CDP/ESG servers using the ADIC shared file system from the supercomputers and data analysis systems. A number of different options will be pursued during FY2006 to expand the current server base to include supercomputers without comprising the security of systems protected by the gateway system. SCD will be working with ADIC, the provider of the StorNext file system, in providing a solution. Other activities for FY2006 include:
The addition of a third Sun server to the SAN to serve as the computational component for DSS, bringing the configuration to three Sun servers.
The addition of more storage units to provide additional DSS data products, ESG CCSM data, CRID-BGC data, and WACCM and CISP data sets to the user community.
Revisit re-establishing the testbed to evaluate different vendors other than Sun for the ADIC StorNext shared file system, in particular SGI's IRIX run on the tempest system in lieu of establishing adequate security measures. This would allow the analysis and reanalysis of published CCSM data on tempest. This would require read and write capabilities to cross the firewall.
The scaling up of total shared data to over 50 TB or until a final evaluation of the ADIC StorNext shared file system as a long-term solution can be made.
Over the long term, a policy for managing/arbitrating and rationing the publication of data sets by UCAR scientists using SCD portal technology. In particular:
Our cost competitiveness with other solutions, including data warehouses and low-cost commodity solutions by individual scientists. The differentiator for NCAR being the services provided on top of the data storage space and ensuring SCD is pursuing the most cost effective and scalable technology available.
Working with investigators at the proposal stage to incorporate data storage costs into their proposal.
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FY2005 Annual Report |
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