Los Alamos HPDS: high-speed data transfer

The authors describe the Los Alamos High-Performance Data System (HPDS), which is being developed to meet data-storage and data-access requirements of Grand Challenge and National Security problems running in a high-performance computing environment. HPDS is a fourth-generation data storage system in which storage devices are directly connected to a network, data are transferred directly between client machines and storage devices, and software distributed on workstations provides system-management and control capabilities. Essential to the success of HPDS will be the ability to effectively use High-Performance Parallel Interface (HIPPI) networks and HIPPI-attached storage devices for high-speed data transfer. The authors discuss the peer-to-peer data transfer protocol that has been developed for HPDS, and describe the HPDS implementation approach