stores petabytes of HPC data with Spectra Logic's T950 Tape. Library and ... cal and scientific expertise related to num
The University of Leeds School of Earth & Environment stores petabytes of HPC data with Spectra Logic’s T950 Tape Library and Spectra Verde NAS Solution High performance computing continues to evolve and it’s vitally important that we stay at the forefront of this trend to support academics and researchers using our facilities. With Spectra Logic’s T950 library we can move forward with confidence that our data storage needs can be met both now and for decades to come.
Spectra T950 tape library and Spectra Verde NAS Solution
Professor Alan Haywood, Director of Research and Innovation, School of Earth and Environment at Leeds University
About the School The University of Leeds School of Earth & Environment is one of the largest and most accomplished schools in the United Kingdom, with expertise ranging from geophysics, to atmospheric science, to environmental sustainability. Its community is comprised of approximately 120 academic staff, 150 post-doctoral associates, and more than 200 research students involved in all aspects of environmental science.
The University is the base for the Centre of Excellence for Modelling the Atmosphere and Climate (CEMAC), which aims to provide a core of technical and scientific expertise related to numerical modelling, large data analysis and visualization, pushing the frontiers of scientific research, and providing solutions to some of the most pressing problems faced by society. Advances in hardware, computing techniques and rising amounts of information from satellites and other data sources have led to an increase in the complexity of scientific numerical models, presenting challenges in effective data handling and analysis for maximum scientific benefit. Scientific and technical expertise must go hand-in-hand to fully harness these advances to tackle the most complex challenges in atmospheric and climate science.
Fast Facts: University of Leeds Rankings • Ranked 7th in the UK for Earth and Marine Sciences, placing it firmly amongst the Top 10 Universities in the country offering courses such as geology and geophysics, and in the Top 20 for geography and environmental studies (Guardian University League Tables 2016) • One of the Top 5 UK Universities (alongside Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol and Imperial) for Earth Sciences (21st Worldwide) • In the Top 10 (#7) for Academic Reputation for Environmental Sciences • Its research division is ranked 1st in the UK for the quantity of its world-leading research and 5th out of 44 departments in the UK for overall research quality in earth systems and environmental sciences
Alan Haywood studying Palaeo-climate simulations
303-449-6400
•
800-833-1132
•
(Fax) 303-939-8844
•
6285 Lookout Road
•
Boulder, CO 80301 USA
•
www.spectralogic.com
CASE STUDY:
University of Leeds (School of Earth & Environment)
The Challenge: The School of Earth & Environment’s current environmental science models produce terabytes of data. The next generation of models will be calculated with increasing levels of detail, which will result in significantly greater volumes of data. These substantial volumes of data are critical to the school as they allow for more complex scientific analyses to be performed. The re-use value of the data is also incredibly high in the school as new techniques can be applied to historic data to gain new insight. The volume of data produced by the school within the next five years is estimated to reach up to 3.5 petabytes. The organization’s previous storage system, a mixture of SAN/NAS devices that provide Windows/Linux home directories as well as additional archival disk space, was not providing a robust and costeffective means for managing the school’s expanding data requirements. The school needed a new, scalable solution that would provide secure storage for up to several petabytes of research data, while also offering easy access to that data for ongoing scientific modelling and forecasting projects. The funded research grant solution also had to be cost effective both in terms of capital and operational costs to meet tight budgetary constraints. Furthermore, the system would need to satisfy the data storage requirements of each project or model, which could be anything up to 20 years.
The Solution: After considering several comparative tape library products such as the Oracle StorageTek SL3000/SL8500, Quantum Scalar i6000, Dell PowerVault ML6030 and IBM TS3500, the school selected a Spectra® T950 Tape Library with four LTO-6 tape drives and 200 slots for data archiving, and a Spectra® Verde® NAS Solution for backup. Spectra Logic’s T950 tape library outflanked the competition with its ability to efficiently store massive data sets in a variety of formats for the long term, and its capacity for future expansion. Having a predetermined upgrade plan to
University of Leeds Lenovo server running QSTAR Archive Manager T950 single frame library with 4 LTO6 FC drives and 200 slots SAN Switch
Large disk array / SAN
Verde Key 8Gb FC 10Gb Ethernet
replace current components with their next generation means that the bulk of the infrastructure could be re-used. This greatly increases the lifespan of the asset and significantly reduces upgrade costs. The University was also impressed by Spectra Logic’s vendor-neutral approach and well-established client base, such as large computing organizations like NCSA. Spectra’s Verde NAS solution is used for extra backup redundancy, allowing an extra copy of the tape currently being written in the library to be kept, before it is safely removed and stored on a shelf outside of the library. The fact that researchers do not have to continue to seek funding for new disks with every grant application (as old data can now be moved to tape and the disks can be re-used) has allowed for additional cost savings.
Environment Snapshot • Spectra T950 Tape Library • Four LTO-6 tape drives and 200 slots • Spectra Verde NAS solution • Large disk array / SAN • Lenovo server running QStar Active Archive Software
Why Spectra: • Ability to store massive data sets in a variety of formats • Modularity of product allowing easy future expansion • Ease of integration with existing hardware and software • Long-term investment with reduced upgrade costs • Well-established client base • Ability to scale to meet future needs • Expertise in HPC environments
University of Leeds photo contest winners. These were captured as part of ongoing research projects. (Left) “Over the Edge” by Matt Amison, and (right) “Iceberg” by Jane Francis in Antarctica.
©2016 Spectra Logic. All trademarks and registered trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
303-449-6400
•
800-833-1132
•
(Fax) 303-939-8844
•
6285 Lookout Road
•
Boulder, CO 80301 USA
V1-11617 •
www.spectralogic.com
