For the same reason (storage expansions that follow funding needs), I want a 4 or 5U embedded server/JBOD with GNR. That would allow us to simply plugin the host interfaces (2-4 of them), configure an IP addr/host name and add it as NSDs to an existing GPFS file system.
As opposed to dealing with racks of storage and architectural details. Jason > On Jun 19, 2015, at 2:57 PM, Chris Hunter <[email protected]> wrote: > > I'll 2nd Zach on this. The storage funding model vs the storage purchase > model are a challenge. > > I should also mention often research grant funding can't be used to buy a > storage "service" without additional penalties. So S3 or private storage > cloud are not financially attractive. > > We used to have a "pay it forward" model where an investigator would buy ~10 > drive batches, which sat on a shelf until we accumulated sufficient drives to > fill a new enclosure. Interim, we would allocate storage from existing > infrastructure to fulfill the order. > > A JBOD solution that allows incremental drive expansion is desirable. > > chris hunter > yale hpc group > >> From: Zachary Giles <[email protected]> >> To: gpfsug main discussion list <[email protected]> >> Subject: Re: [gpfsug-discuss] Disabling individual Storage Pools by >> themselves? How about GPFS Native Raid? >> >> OK, back on topic: >> Honestly, I'm really glad you said that. I have that exact problem >> also -- a researcher will be funded for xTB of space, and we are told >> by the grants office that if something is purchased on a grant it >> belongs to them and it should have a sticker put on it that says >> "property of the govt' etc etc. >> We decided to (as an institution) put the money forward to purchase a >> large system ahead of time, and as grants come in, recover the cost >> back into the system by paying off our internal "negative balance". In >> this way we can get the benefit of a large storage system like >> performance and purchasing price, but provision storage into quotas as >> needed. We can even put stickers on a handful of drives in the GSS >> tray if that makes them feel happy. >> Could they request us to hand over their drives and take them out of >> our system? Maybe. if the Grants Office made us do it, sure, I'd drain >> some pools off and go hand them over.. but that will never happen >> because it's more valuable to them in our cluster than sitting on >> their table, and I'm not going to deliver the drives full of their >> data. That's their responsibility. >> >> Is it working? Yeah, but, I'm not a grants admin nor an accountant, so >> I'll let them figure that out, and they seem to be OK with this model. >> And yes, it's not going to work for all institutions unless you can >> put the money forward upfront, or do a group purchase at the end of a >> year. >> >> So I 100% agree, GNR doesn't really fit the model of purchasing a few >> drives at a time, and the grants things is still a problem. > > _______________________________________________ > gpfsug-discuss mailing list > gpfsug-discuss at gpfsug.org > http://gpfsug.org/mailman/listinfo/gpfsug-discuss _______________________________________________ gpfsug-discuss mailing list gpfsug-discuss at gpfsug.org http://gpfsug.org/mailman/listinfo/gpfsug-discuss
