Abstract
Large scientific data centers have recently begun providing a number of different types of data storage in order to satisfy the various needs of their users. Users with interactive accounts, for example, might want a POSIX interface for easy access to the data from their interactive machines. Grid computing sites, on the other hand, likely need to provide an X509-based storage protocol, like SRM and GridFTP, since the data management system is built upon them. Meanwhile, an experiment producing large amounts of data typically demands a service that provides archival storage for the safe keeping of their unique data. To access these various types of data, users must use specific sets of commands tailored to their respective storage, making access to their data complex and difficult. BNLBox is an attempt to provide a unified and easy to use storage service for all BNL users, to store their important documents, code and data. It is a cloud storage system with an intuitive web interface for novice users. It provides an automated synchronization feature that enables users to upload data to their cloud storage without manual intervention, freeing them to focus on analysis rather than data management software. It provides a POSIX interface for local interactive users, which simplifies data access from batch jobs as well. At the same time, it also provides users with a straightforward mechanism for archiving large data sets for later processing. The storage space can be used for both code and data within the compute job environment. This paper will describe various aspects of the BNLBox storage service.
Highlights
The Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) serves a large, multi-disciplinary research community, some of whom are remote users, widely distributed geographically
Over the past few years, there has been an increasing need for a robust and easy-to-use file sync-and-share service that is integrated into the BNL Scientific Data and Computing Center (SDCC)[1]
The BNLBox service is built on Nextcloud[3], a free, open-source, Enterprise File Sync and Share (EFSS) solution
Summary
The Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) serves a large, multi-disciplinary research community, some of whom are remote users, widely distributed geographically. Over the past few years, there has been an increasing need for a robust and easy-to-use file sync-and-share service that is integrated into the BNL Scientific Data and Computing Center (SDCC)[1]. The service that has been developed is known as BNLBox[2] and provides the following features:. Locally-hosted cloud storage with easy access to user data via browser, desktop and mobile clients, including automated synchronization. Multiple access points from local user accounts, including from batch system, analysis portal, etc. The deployment of this new service reflects an integrated effort by many SDCC staff members in supporting back-end disk and tape storage, web and database services, AAI infrastructure, and user interface development. The sections below will detail the components of this system, highlighting some of the particular features deployed at BNL
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