MaSSIVE: the Mass Storage System IV Enterprise

Author

Sloan, J.L. ; O´Lear, B.T. ; Kitts, D.L. ; Irwin, B.L.

Author_Institution

Nat. Center for Atmos. Res., Boulder, CO, USA

Volume

81

Issue

4

fYear

1993

fDate

4/1/1993 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

621

Lastpage

630

Abstract

The Mass Storage System IV Enterprise (MaSSIVE) a fourth-generation mass storage system that provides a file system service to teraflops computing systems, is described. A bitfile managed by MaSSIVE can be a complete, self-contained Unix file system specific to a particular MaSSIVE client. MaSSIVE will stage whole file systems from archival storage onto online storage devices and then provide its clients with raw block access to the staged file systems. It will comply with the IEEE Mass Storage System Reference Model, and will consist of cooperating processes distributed across a network of supermicrocomputers. The client interface to a file system will be implemented through a custom device driver that will permit I/O to MaSSIVE online storage drives. The device interface through a high-bandwidth data fabric to the storage device will use common device-controller-specific protocols. As file systems are unmounted by clients or clients disconnect from the data fabric, file systems can be migrated back to archive storage and removed from online storage

Keywords

file organisation; magnetic disc storage; magnetic tape storage; Mass Storage System IV Enterprise; archival storage; archive storage; client interface; cooperating processes; custom device driver; device-controller-specific protocols; file system service; fourth-generation mass storage system; high-bandwidth data fabric; online storage devices; raw block access; self-contained Unix file system; staged file systems; supermicrocomputers; teraflops computing systems; Bandwidth; Computer interfaces; Computer networks; Control systems; Engines; Environmental economics; FDDI; High performance computing; Protocols; Supercomputers;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Proceedings of the IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9219

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/5.219346

Filename

219346