SBIR Phase II: CohortFS: A Replicated, Parallel Storage System for Cloud Computing

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目推进了CohortFS，一个用于云计算的复制并行存储平台。CohortFS为数据分区、安全的数据访问和保留以及大规模存储的灵活管理提供了独特的功能，并具有跨地理上分散的、单独管理的数据中心的无缝联合。CohortFS提高了云存储管理的灵活性和简单性，便于对本地、远程或云中的分布式卷进行统一管理。用于透明加密的CohortFS模型保护共享数据中心设施中的数据不受存储提供商和其他数据提供商的影响，这是云数据隐私和安全的一个关键考虑因素，而这一直被认为是采用基础设施即服务（IaaS）和云存储的主要障碍。这个项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力包括基于标准的存储基础设施的进步，开源和专有存储技术的进步，以及可以随时商业化的高价值软件基础设施的开发。CohortFS在广域复制和灵活的数据放置方面的创新提高了公共云和私有云中的存储性能和可管理性。CohortFS使用云作为支持媒介，将千兆级数据组织和安全、广域复制方面的进步转化为更广泛的市场和商业领域。通过提高云规模存储的经济性和实用性，CohortFS扩大了云计算的适用性，加速了云计算的采用，并加深了云计算的影响。强烈支持更广泛的NSF使命的目标。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II Project advances CohortFS, a replicated, parallel storage platform for cloud computing. CohortFS offers unique capabilities for data partitioning, secure data access and retention, and flexible management of storage at very-large scale, with seamless federation across geographically dispersed, separately-managed data centers. CohortFS improves the flexibility and simplicity of cloud storage management and facilitates uniform management of distributed volumes, whether local, remote, or in the cloud. The CohortFS model for transparent encryption protects data from storage providers and others in shared data center facilities, a key consideration for cloud data privacy and security which are consistently found to be the primary barriers to adoption of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and cloud storage. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project includes advancement of standards-based storage infrastructure, advancement of both open source and proprietary storage technologies, and development of high-value software infrastructure that can be readily commercialized. CohortFS innovations in wide area replication and flexible data placement improve storage performance and manageability in public and private clouds. Using the cloud as an enabling medium, CohortFS translates advances in petascale data organization and secure, wide-area replication to broader markets and commercial sectors. By improving the economy and utility of storage at cloud scale, CohortFS widens the applicability of cloud computing, speeds its adoption, and deepens its impact?goals strongly supportive of the broader NSF mission.