[OpenAFS-devel] Regarding GSoC 2010 Collaborative Caching Project

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:36:42 -0400

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On Apr 13, 2010, at 10:12 AM, shruti jain wrote:
> The project aims at developing a system which would use collaborative =
caching techniques to improve the read accesses in OpenAFS. This project =
is based on two observations.
>=20
> Firstly, in a cluster environment, a large number of clients need same =
datasets to work on i.e. the data on which client nodes need to execute =
is same for many other nodes on the network. Currently, each client =
contacts the server individually to fetch the data. This increase load =
on the server unnecessarily. If the size of the file is very large then =
the problem would be highly magnified.
>=20
> Second observation is that the local bandwidth are mostly fast and =
runs into Gbps. In a cluster, many clients would share the same =
geography and thus have fast interconnects between them. The server =
might be connected through a slow network link. In this situation, =
accessing data from another client would be much faster than accessing =
data from server itself.
>=20
Just one guy's opinion, but I like this. The more I think about it, the =
more I like it.

One long-term benefit of this is in clusters. We've seen a number of =
instances where folks have attempted to use AFS as if it were a =
clustered file system, keeping various lockfiles, etc in the fs. It beat =
the hell out of our AFS servers when it happened. If a fs could delegate =
responsibility for such lockfiles to a local node, it's make that sort =
of thing feasible and fast.

Steve=

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<html><head></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; =
"><div><div>On Apr 13, 2010, at 10:12 AM, shruti jain =
wrote:</div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"border-collapse: separate; font-family: Courier; font-size: =
medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; =
letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: =
0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: =
0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><p>The project aims at =
developing a system which would use collaborative caching techniques to =
improve the read accesses in OpenAFS. This project is based on two =
observations.</p><p>Firstly, in a cluster environment, a large number of =
clients need same datasets to work on i.e. the data on which client =
nodes need to execute is same for many other nodes on the network. =
Currently, each client contacts the server individually to fetch the =
data. This increase load on the server unnecessarily. If the size of the =
file is very large then the problem would be highly =
magnified.</p><p>Second observation is that the local bandwidth are =
mostly fast and runs into Gbps. In a cluster, many clients would share =
the same geography and thus have fast interconnects between them. The =
server might be connected through a slow network link. In this =
situation, accessing data from another client would be much faster than =
accessing data from server itself.</p></span></blockquote></div>Just one =
guy's opinion, but I like this. The more I think about it, the more I =
like it.<div><br></div><div>One long-term benefit of this is in =
clusters. We've seen a number of instances where folks have attempted to =
use AFS as if it were a clustered file system, keeping various =
lockfiles, etc in the fs. It beat the hell out of our AFS servers when =
it happened. If a fs could delegate responsibility for such lockfiles to =
a local node, it's make that sort of thing feasible and =
fast.</div><div><div><br></div><div>Steve</div></div></body></html>=

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