Active Object Storage to Enable Scalable and Reliable Parallel File Systems

处理器性能的提高和成本的降低使外围设备(如磁盘驱动器)的系统智能得以提高。磁盘上的这种计算能力导致了基于对象的存储的发展，从而将一些文件系统功能移到了磁盘上。计算能力还可以在存储节点上实现所谓的活动磁盘或活动存储中的计算。这种主动存储计算作为一种使用分布式存储节点进行并行计算的机制，本研究重点研究如何使用这些主动磁盘来进行并行文件系统和存储管理。正在开发基于标准化对象存储设备规范的功能性主动存储系统体系结构。该体系结构支持多种执行引擎，允许使用多种编程语言和模型。利用这种主动对象存储体系结构，人们正在研究提高整体可伸缩性和大规模系统可靠性的机制。此外，活动存储和对象存储用于支持可定制和可扩展的文件系统，包括自主(自我配置和自我管理)存储以及应用感知存储，以便可以针对应用和用户需求对存储进行优化。

The increasing performance and decreasing cost of processors has enabled increased system intelligence at peripherals such as disk drives. This computational capability at the disk has led to the development of object-based storage whereby some of the file system functionality is moved to the disk. The computation capability can also enable computation at the storage node in what has been called active disks or active storage. This active storage computation serves as a mechanism to enable parallel computation using distributed storage nodes.This research focuses on the use of these active disks for parallel file system and storage management. A functional active storage system architecture built on the standardized object-storage device specification is being developed. The architecture supports a variety of execution engines allowing multiple programming languages and models. Using this active object storage architecture, mechanisms to improve overall scalability and large-scale system reliability are being investigated. In addition, active and object storage are used to enable customizable and extensible file systems including autonomic (self-configuring and self-managing) storage as well as application aware storage such that the storage can be optimized for application and user needs.