SRB Services

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SRB Services

• Adil Hasan CCLRC e-science
• (on behalf of Roger Downing, Tom Mortimer-Jones)

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UK e-science

• Tasked with providing IT infrastruture to allow
  projects the ability to maximally exploit their
  (and related) data.
• Data management a critical component.
• SRB provides underlying data management for many
  of these projects.

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What is SRB?

• A system that allows us to provide a uniform way
  of accessing all our geographically distributed
  storage resources.
• Easily locate the data on our distributed
  resources.
• Provide access control to our data.
• Keeps track of our data.
• Gives the potential to federate with other SRB
  systems.

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Storing data in SRB
Can I use the system? Yes!
SRB
SRB
Redirect client connection to Hexagonal server
Client
Server
Store this data on the hexagonal server.
SRB
Is the client authorized? Yes!
Server
Once data stored update MCAT with location and
other info
SRB
Server
MCAT
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Getting data out of SRB
Can I use the system? Yes
Im redirecting the client to the hexagonal server
SRB
SRB
Server
I want X data
Client
Heres X data
SRB
Where is X data?
Server
Its on the hexagonal server
Is the client authorized? Yes
SRB
Server
MCAT
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SRB - and theres more!
ZoneAustralia
ZoneUK
Greenland (client)
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SRB User Interface

• Have C-based command line user interface
  (Scommands).
• Have Java, C, Python, Perl client-side APIs.
• Have currently two GUIs
• MySRB - accessible through browser.
• inQ - client-based GUI (Windows only).

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SRB GUIs
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SRB Services -What we do

• Provide advice and help in designing a system for
  managing data based on SRB.
• Setup SRB, provide support and training.
• Provide in-house tools to help build the system
  and enhance functionality (monitoring tools,
  etc).
• Focused on providing tools to enhance production
  quality and give projects greater autonomy.

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SRB Services

• Currently support 7 large-scale projects in
  diverse areas (arts and humanities, biotech,
  synchrotron).
• Host and maintain the Metadata Catalogue-enabled
  SRB server for all projects.
• Host and maintain the SRB server interfacing to
  the CCLRC tertiary tape store (ADS) used by all
  projects.

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SRB Monitoring
Sput times
Sls times
Example graphs taken from live monitoring
page (courtesy of R. Downing, T. Mortimer-Jones,
R. Tyer)
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An Example
SRB-enabled Central Disk Server
Project
Tertiary Storage
Note that only File-specific Metadata stored in
MCAT. Project-specific Metadata should be
in Separate catalogue like ICAT
Clients
MCAT-enabled SRB
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When to use SRB

• If you do not have a system that
• Keeps track of where data is.
• Provides a uniform way of accessing all your
  resources.
• Provides access control.
• Provides the possibility of federating with other
  SRB systems.
• And you want such a system then consider using
  SRB.

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When not to use SRB

• When all the data is temporary and location well
  known.
• When amount of data is very small, 1-2 users and
  manageable with a simple ASCII file.
• In a very dynamic environment where storage
  resources appear and disappear (although SRB can
  cope).

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Summary

• SRB services is a central body with a good deal
  of experience in using SRB.
• Provide custom-tools, advice and other tools to
  enhance production SRB service and allow projects
  a greater deal of autonomy in dealing with their
  data management system.