Storage Resource Broker (SRB) User Guide
SRB at SDSC
Storage Resource Broker (SRB) is provided as a service to TeraGrid and SDSC users to facilitate data management. Using SRB, users can move, manage, and search collections that are distributed on remote and local resources without having to know all the details of the underlying storage systems. SRB keeps track of collections as if they were in a single location; that is, the user can manage their data based on logical relationships rather than on physical location or file structure.
SRB is a full-featured software management system that will help researchers to:
- move research data from one location to another for analysis
- simplify the management of geographically distributed data
- publish raw data or analyzed results to share with colleagues
- manage archives and backups
- provide a detailed metadata framework to identify and search data
SRB is client-server software in use by institutions world-wide. Here at SDSC, the server software is installed on our resources to allow SDSC and TeraGrid users to avail themselves of its powerful features and to interface with storage resources at SDSC.
The SRB command line client is installed on SDSC compute resources to allow users with active SRB accounts to manage their data from DataStar, Blue Gene, and the SDSC IA-64 Cluster. In addition, it is available from all TeraGrid computing resources. In addition to the command line client on compute resources, users may install wide range of clients and APIs for SRB management from laptops, through the Web, and via incorporation into programs and portals.
This User Guide contains information on getting and using your SRB account, whether you are a user of SDSC or TeraGrid compute or data resources. It is divided into the following sections:
- Getting Started: includes details on getting an account and setting up SRB
- SRB client interfaces: some popular clients for use from your workstation or program
- S-commands: list of common commands (UNIX command line client)
- What can SRB do for you?
- Advanced uses of SRB (in development): links to white papers and presentations to provide information for users who wish to explore the full range of features that SRB provides
- SRB product page: contains more information about SRB worldwide
Available SDSC Data Resources
SRB server is intalled at SDSC for data storage and management for the resources below. You can interact with these resources using any SRB client, including the command line client installed on DataStar, Blue Gene, and the IA-64 Cluster.
- See the TeraGrid documentation for locations at other TeraGrid Resource Providers
- See DataCentral for more information on these resources
Data
- Sun SAMQFS File system (hybrid disk & tape file system)
- SATA & SAN/FibreChannel Disk
- Capacity: 400 TB
- All data on disk has a second copy on tape
- Frequently accessed data remains on disk
- Tape
- Copy of data can be staged to disk at any time
- Capacity: 25 PB
- SATA & SAN/FibreChannel Disk
- HPSS
- Capacity: 25 PB
- Tape Archive system
