Solution for high-performance calculation and storage

Most of the high-performance computing combines the compute-intensive application and data-intensive application. It mainly confronts stronger computation and analysis ability of massive data as the challenge. One of the leading problem is the bandwidth bottleneck of data when the computing cluster is used for data processing. If the computing cluster couldn't obtain the high-speed data transmission performance, its computing performance couldn't be embodied. The simultaneous satisfaction of massive storage and high bandwidth has become the key factor for the large-scale development of high-performance computing cluster.

Technology type

At present, the SAN architecture + parallel file system is adopted in most of high-performance computing environment in China. As the eclectic solution, such architecture faces the storage user adopting lots of SAN and NAS architectures. The parallel file system added on the basis of the existing hardware architecture couldn't span the restriction of the original hardware architecture, it is only the local improvement: The special cluster storage adopts the unique open architecture, achieves the cluster storage through the distributed operation system, which is completely-parallelized solution and achieves the parallelization from hardware to software.

Solution for high-performance calculation

Since entering the storage market, the cluster storage has faced the high-performance computing field and the read-write field of concurrent data all the time. With regard to the architecture, it is very suitable for the high bandwidth application focusing on a bulk of non-structural data, such as the petroleum exploration and development, bio-molecular research, genetic engineering calculation, seismic signal processing, meteorological data analysis, aerospace, industrial manufacturing, and other read-write fields of relevant massive data.

The ISILON product of EMC company is the cluster storage developed and designed specially in face of high-performance computing features, and it is the leader for cluster storage. The products own the following functions:

l  Performance and capacity in linear growth;

lEasy to install and manage;

lSeamless expansion;

lHigh data security;

lHigh utilization rate of data. 

Certain Exploration and Development Institute of petroleum and natural gas constructs the high-performance computing center with the cluster storage.

Client background

As the important base for research of oil gas exploration and development technology in China, Certain Exploration and Development Institute of petroleum engages the research of geology and geophysical prospecting. Since the Research Institute constantly increases the input in the exploration effort, the existing storage system has many limitations in the capacity expansion and performance promotion, and is very difficult to cope with more and more challenges.

Scheme design

As the SAN+ parallel file system, the original storage architecture adopts the network document system NFS for the data transmission and sharing. Restricted by NFS protocol, it is poor in data transmission performance. The quantity of nodes used for concurrent computing is very limited, which severely restrict the exertion of computing power. A kind of new storage architecture is needed to meet the high-capacity and high-performance demand. The Isilon cluster storage integrates the distributed file system of smart OneFS and avoids the restriction of NFS protocol to achieve the high bandwidth transmission. The modularized industry standard hardware provides the single extensible storage pool.

User benefits

lThe computation speed increases by over two times.

lAchieve the linear growth of capacity and performance.

lAccelerate the data collection and analysis for exploration and research.

lExploration operation is completed on schedule with the quality and quantity guaranteed.

lMinimize the investment and operation cost.

Certain large-scale chain supermarket eliminates the data hotspot with lsilon+VMware.

Client background

Most of the data center servers in a certain large-scale chain supermarket across the country adopt the VMware virtualization environment in order to improve the availability and efficiency of server and reduce the cost. And the storage focuses on the traditional SAN plus NAS. At present, the ever-increasing data are very difficult in management and expansion due to the rapid development of business and newly-opened online supermarket, thus generating the storage hotspot and occupying the calculation resources of many key businesses.

Scheme design

In the virtualization environment, the space in the storage pool is divided into many LUN which is distributed to different virtual machines.  Due to different businesses undertaken by each virtual machine, some virtual machines are visited frequently due to the growth of business volume and easily generate the storage hot spot so that the lifecycle of storage equipment is shortened greatly.  The cluster storage of Isilon could eliminate the storage hotspots and be extensible as the virtualization could eliminate the expansion of server. The distributed file system of smart OneFS could integrate the virtual environment and non-virtual environment into a uniformly-named space. And the data is evenly distributed on each hard disk. The LUN or volume doesn't need to be created, and many file systems are installed. One independent management point could be used to manage the advanced function easily even if confronting large-scale environment. The SyndQ is used in remote disaster recovery and could synchronize the data between two cluster storage, which guarantees the persistence of business.

User benefits

lImprove the working efficiency for over 5 times.

lEliminate the data island and hotspot and lengthen the storage life cycle.

lSimply reduce the management as the 10TB is managed with ease.

lExpand one node within 60 seconds.

lDecrease the overall investment cost and operation cost, and rapidly develop new business.

Isilon helps certain colleges and universities to enable online library system.

Client background

 Certain college and university create and share the data information in many different methods through the online library for the purpose of visit of the cooperation college, students and teacher in any place, and establish the cooperation with the research institutes in the world to achieve the data sharing. The mass data (such as audio frequency, video, image) based on the documents increases in exponential type due to the popularization of digital camera, DV and projector, which brings impassable challenge in management and cost to the storage system of library.

Scheme design

The storage system of library adopts the SAN and NAS architecture, which couldn't be expanded on demand.

Isilon cluster is designed by the storage platform with lateral extension, which reduces the storage complexity and is easily managed.

The capacity and performance achieve the linear growth. The high utilization rate and the expandability of "pay-as-you-go" are utilized to create the economy.

User benefits

lProvide the incomparable collective storage.

lSimple management and convenient capacity expansion.

lStrengthen the ability of visiting data from different geographical locations.

                     lSave the valuable time of research scholars.