Early experience with mass storage on a Unix-based supercomputer

Some problems encountered in bringing up a MSS (mass storage system) in a Unix environment and the solutions to the problems are examined . In particular, a way of implementing the bitfile client that would allow a multitude of interactive users to gain access to the same MSS while using a limited number of hardware paths was needed. There was also the problem of how the bitfile mover was going to communicate with the bitfile client. These problems needed to be solved using the tools provided by the Unix operating system. At the same time, the authors had to deal with the unique problems created because the Unix system was running on a supercomputer and a wide range of file sizes were being handled. Some early experiences with the system and some of its limitations are discussed.<>