This project aims to investigate the environmental savings (anticipated to be from power, space and cooling) to be derived from dynamically moving data between fast, resilient tier 1 storage and reduced energy lower tier storage, based on file access or modification dates, using hierarchical storage management or similar technology.

Planet filestore

Aims and objectives

The aim of this project is to use storage more effectively by implementing a low energy dynamic file storage management system which will manage the migration of unstructured data based on required availability level. We intend to monitor storage capacity to reduce energy requirements, to produce a set of measurements that demonstrates the energy savings to be made versus migration policy and to undertake an economic assessment of the system. We will also disseminate project outcomes effectively and to publicise the benefits to the community.

Project methodology 

 We will conduct a review of the storage management solutions available and the most energy-efficient, cost-effective storage. Following this, we will procure suitable software and hardware in order to build a demonstrator system. This demonstrator system will be tested against duplicate data from current university systems and also rolled out to a reference user group. The energy and economic costs and benefits will be estimated and compared along with any impact on users.

Anticipated outputs and outcomes

  • An analysis and comparison of data migration technology;
  • A demonstrator system;
  • A set of experimental results along with the associated migration policies;
  • Analysis of experimental results;
  • Reports and other information allowing the community to benefit from this work.

Technology / Standards used

  • Hierarchical Storage Management
  • Dynamic Storage Technology
  • Clustering • Storage Area Network
  • Power consumption monitoring

Project Staff

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Summary
Start date
18 January 2010
End date
17 January 2010
Funding programme
Greening ICT programme
Strand
Technical Innovation
Project website
Lead institutions
University of Cardiff
Committees
  • JISC Organisational Support committee
Topic