This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0020_01C48525.2A7FA8B0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hello, I wanted to know which is a better alternative for a cluster of 48 nodes (dual processor) that is working 24x7 for life science problems dealing with extensive I/O's (small files) for performance. The kind of I/O's i am talking about is small file read and writes say (10-20kb) each and 10000's of these operations simultaneously on the file system. How well does a distributed file system like GPFS on SAN works or a NAS storage works. We are in the process of designing a cluster for life science related problem that will work on 10'000's of file's simultaneously from across the linux cluster and we are hung up on the storage options the pro's and con's of (GPFS on SAN) or (NAS device). If some body could point me to a right direction it would be great because as i read from few sites they say NAS devices are more preferred option but i could'nt find the reasons to support either one of them. Thanks ASB ------=_NextPart_000_0020_01C48525.2A7FA8B0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Dus-ascii"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1458" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> <DIV><SPAN class=3D768220118-18082004><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2>Hello,</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D768220118-18082004><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D768220118-18082004><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I = wanted to know=20 which is a better alternative for a cluster of 48 nodes (dual processor) = that is=20 working 24x7 for life science problems dealing with extensive I/O's = (small=20 files) for performance. The kind of I/O's i am talking about is small = file read=20 and writes say (10-20kb) each and 10000's of these operations = simultaneously on=20 the file system. How well does a distributed file system like GPFS on = SAN works=20 or a NAS storage works. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D768220118-18082004><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D768220118-18082004><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We are = in the=20 process of designing a cluster for life science related problem that = will work=20 on 10'000's of file's simultaneously from across the linux cluster and = we are=20 hung up on the storage options the pro's and con's of (GPFS on SAN) or = (NAS=20 device). If some body could point me to a right direction it would be = great=20 because as i read from few sites they say NAS devices are more = preferred option but i could'nt find the reasons to support = either one=20 of them.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D768220118-18082004></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D768220118-18082004><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2>Thanks</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D768220118-18082004></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D768220118-18082004><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2>ASB</FONT> </SPAN></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0020_01C48525.2A7FA8B0--