Switching the cloud storage backend to NFS/NetApp AFF-A400 (full flash)

During the week, the final commissioning and configuration of the new cloud storage backend with a gross capacity of up to 600TByte took place. This component replaces the aging CEPH backend, which was primarily based on a RAID with spinning disks. The associated performance improvement was made possible by the use of de.NBI hardware funds from BMBF funding at the Freiburg site.

The new storage component for the various de.NBI Usecases (Full-Flash)

On Jan. 21, 2021, a NetApp AFF-A400 was configured as the storage backend for the de.NBI cloud at the Freiburg site. This is a full flash system that also offers NFS for the Galaxy Workbench. A total of up to 600TByte of flash is available for the various tasks. This system replaces the aging CEPH, which caused problems at intervals, such as OSDs getting stuck, no way to access or delete volumes.

The University IT Services is thus once again expanding the cloud research infrastructure it has operated for more than five years. This was done in the course of the most recent upgrade as part of the de.NBI project, which is being driven forward in terms of infrastructure in Freiburg by the Galaxy Group in cooperation with the eScience department at the data center. Thanks also go to the network group, which took care of the configuration of the new, very powerful switch infrastructure (2 * Alcatel C32 as virtual chassis).

Galaxy is an easy-to-use gateway to HPC and cloud resources and allows GB of data to be conveniently analyzed via a standardized API or web browser. The European Galaxy server, which is mainly operated by the University of Freiburg, offers more than 25,000 registered (status: 25.01.2021) users access to more than 2500 multidisciplinary tools from genomics, proteomics to machine learning, ecology and climate science.

If you have general compute needs (outside the bioinformatics community) for your own research projects, you can find more information about bwCloud as a compute provider here: please register. Then write a ticket to the ticket system with the required specifications for a possibly necessary quota extension. If you need more information or have a question, please search our question and answer section or open a ticket in the ticket system.