Dedicated light path connects JASMIN-Core and JASMIN-North

Following the deployment of high-performance storage and virtualisation infrastructure at CEDA over the past year, the JASMIN analysis environment is now taking shape. In addition to the JASMIN Core deployment at CEDA (RAL), the wider JASMIN network consists of hardware at Reading, Bristol and Leeds Universities, linking key atmospheric research groups across the UK. A significant milestone was achieved recently with the connection of a dedicated 1Gb light path between the JASMIN Core and JASMIN North nodes.

The dedicated link to JASMIN-North at Leeds means that moving data between the two Jasmin sites can happen at a much faster rate. Initial tests have shown that speeds of around 90Mb/sec transfer rates are achievable with this new link: a significant improvement on the 2-3Mb/sec rates previously reported. These new transfer rates are also assisted by the fast file systems at both ends.

James Groves from NCAS at Leeds University says, “With datasets increasing in size all the time, with a single model run able to produce an output file of around 1.8Tb for one month’s simulation, being able to transfer these data for analysis in a timely fashion is essential for the NCAS scientists distributed around the UK. The Panasas high performance parallel storage is really proving itself to be a reliable and scalable system, an essential component of the UK atmospheric research community’s national capability.”

View JASMIN Links in a larger map