dCache

Distributed Storage for Communities

Amount of LOFAR data stored in the Long Term Archive at Jülich

dCache-System

dCache is a disk pool management system with a SRM interface, jointly developed by DESY and Fermilab. It provides access to data by an uniform filesystem that can be distributed over serveral servers. One of the advantages of using dCache to manage storage resources is that it can act as a front end disk cache behind which sits some hierarchical storage system, such as a tape robot.

dCache-System for ILDG

The first dCache-System at the Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH is used by the ILDG (International Lattice Data-Grid) group for storing and analysis of QCD simulation data.

Hardware Characteristics

  • 1 node with 2 processors (10 cores per socket, 2 threads per core)

    • Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4210 CPU @ 2.20GHz
    • Main memory: 100 GB
    • Network: 40 Gig Ethernet
    • Operating system: CentOS 7.9
  • Disk capacity for cache data: 10 TB
  • Data on tape: 600 TB
  • Head node address: dcache.fz-juelich.de

dCache-System for LOFAR

The second dCache-System is part of the LOFAR Long term Archive System. LOFAR is a real-time multiple sensor array which aims to force a breakthrough in sensitivity for astronomical observations at radio-frequencies below 250 MHz. It is being developed by a consortium of institutes, universities and industrial parties, led by ASTRON. The participating German institutes are organized in the GLOW Consortium.

The data collected at the radiotelescope is sent to a central processor in Groningen and then further to the 3 sites in Europe which build together the Long Term Archive (LTA): SURF in the Netherlands, JSC in Germany and PSNC in Poland. At the moment the LOFAR LTA comprises 55 PB of data, about one third of it in the LTA at Jülich, with a growth of 2 PB per year.

LOFAR Long Term Archive (LTA) Juelich - dCache System
Hardware Characteristics

  • 2 Pool-Door nodes with 2 processors (8 cores per socket, 2 threads per core)

    • Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2630 v3 @ 2.40GHz
    • Main memory: 32 GB
    • Network: 40 Gig Ethernet
    • Operating system: CentOS 7.9

  • 1 Pool-Door node with 1 processor (4 cores per socket, 1 thread per core)

    • Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1220 v6 @ 3.00GHz
    • Main memory: 16 GB
    • Network: 40 Gig Ethernet
    • Operating system: CentOS 7.9

  • 2 Pool-Door nodes with 2 processors (10 cores per socket, 2 threads per core)

    • Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4210 CPU @ 2.20GHz
    • Main memory: 96 GB
    • Network: 40 Gig Ethernet
    • Operating system: CentOS 7.9

  • 2 Pool-Door nodes with 2 processors (10 cores per socket, 2 threads per core)

    • Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4114 CPU @ 2.20GHz
    • Main memory: 96 GB
    • Network: 40 Gig Ethernet
    • Operating system: CentOS 7.9

  • 1 Download-Server for HTTP-Access with 2 processors (6 cores per socket, 2 threads per core)

    • Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2620 v3 @ 2.40GHz
    • Main memory: 32 GB
    • Network: 10 Gigabit Ethernet
    • Operating system: Scientific Linux 6.7

  • 1 Head node with 2 processors (10 cores per socket, 2 threads per core)

    • Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 5215 CPU @ 2.50GHz
    • Main memory: 100 GB
    • Network: 40 Gig Ethernet
    • Operating system: CentOS 7.9
  • Disk capacity for cache data: 1.9 PB
  • Data on tape: 17.3 PB
  • Head node address: lofar-srm.fz-juelich.de

Contact:

Cristina Manzano
Building 16.4 / Room 226
E-Mail
Dr. Arpad Miskolczi
Building 16.4 / Room 226
E-Mail

Last Modified: 13.06.2022