PROOF-Lite running experience in High Energy Physics data analysis

Abstract

Solid-State-Drives are currently introduced in storage facilities for High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments and their performances are measured and compared to standard magnetic disks. For this paper a typical HEP data analysis is performed and used as a test to measure computing performances. The tests exploit the features provided by PROOF-Lite which allows to distribute a huge number of events among different CPU cores, thus reducing the overall time needed to complete the analysis task. These tests are carried on few computational devices typically hosted at a current Tier-2/Tier-3 facility. The performance results are provided in terms of figures of merit and the main issue is scalability described in terms of speed up factor and processing event rate. The obtained results can be used as guideline for both the typical HEP analyst and the Tier-2/Tier-3 manager: the former in the configuration of his own analysis task while dealing with increasing data sizes, the latter in the implementation of an interactive data analysis facility for HEP experiments while facing solutions that concern both technological and economical aspects.