Richard Troy’s research while affiliated with University of California, Berkeley and other places

Data and information intensive industries require advanced data management capabilities incorporated with large capacity storage. Performance in the environment is, in part, a function of individual storage and data management system performance, but most importantly a function of the level of their integration. This paper focuses on integration, in particular on the issue of how to use shared metadata to facilitate high performance interfaces between Mass Storage Systems (MSS) and advanced data management clients. Current MSS interfaces are based on traditional file system interaction. Increasing functionality at the interface can enhance performance by permitting clients to influence data placement, generate accurate cost estimates of input/output (I/O), and describe impending I/O activity. Flexible mechanisms are needed for providing this functionality without compromising the generality of the interface; the authors are proposing active metadata sharing. They present an architecture that details how the shared metadata fits into the overall system architecture and control structure, along with a first cut at what the metadata model should look like.

Data and information intensive industries require advanced data management capabilities incorporated with large capacity storage. Performance in the environment is, in part, a function of individual storage and data management system performance, but most importantly a function of the level of their integration. This paper focuses on integration, in particular on the issue of how to use shared metadata to facilitate high performance interfaces between Mass Storage Systems (MSS) and advanced data management clients. Current MSS interfaces are based on traditional file system interaction. Increasing functionality at the interface can enhance performance by permitting clients to influence data placement, generate accurate cost estimates of I/O, and describe impending I/O activity. Flexible mechanisms are needed for providing this functionality without compromising the generality of the interface; the authors are proposing active metadata sharing. They present an architecture that details how the shared metadata fits into the overall system architecture and control structure, along with a first cut at what the metadata model should look like.