CSR: Small: Decoupling File System from Volatile Main Memory: A First Step towards a Single-Level Persistent Store

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A file system is a computer software module, which is in charge of how files are named, stored, and retrieved. Existing memory systems are based on dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), which is reaching its density and power ceiling. Emerging persistent memory technologies like phase change memory (PCM) not only provide a denser energy-efficient alternative to DRAM, but also allow file systems to be built atop them. This project will contribute to memory and storage technologies by developing a new single-level persistent memory architecture and a new file system dedicated to it. The new architecture will turn a small-size DRAM-based main memory system to a large-capacity persistent memory system that can access files in-place. This project will proceed along two thrusts. First, it will bridge the technology gap in building high-performance persistent memory systems with an in-depth investigation. Second, it will develop the first file system devoted to a single-level persistent store to efficiently managing data, which is increasingly demanded by data-intensive applications.This project will benefit society by developing high-performance memory systems that will significantly improve the performance and energy-efficiency of future big data applications, which are revolutionizing all aspects of human lives ranging from enterprises to consumers, from science to government. In the long term, techniques developed in this project will be transferable to servers/clusters and even to large-scale distributed storage systems for big data applications, where performance requirements are more stringent. This project will also promote teaching, learning, and training by exposing students to technological and scientific underpinnings in the field of big data storage systems. The project outcomes including papers published, technical reports, presentations, course modules, and a repository of the software code will be made available for free download at the address http://taoxie.sdsu.edu/, where they will be kept for ten years. The source code of the new persistent file system will also be posted on GitHub.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.