Metadata for Balanced Performance
Paul Brown, Richard Troy
University of California at Berkeley
Computer Science Division, Berkeley, CA 94720
{pbrown, rtroy}@postgres.berkeley.edu
and
Dave Fisher, Steve Louis, James R. McGraw, Ron Musick
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
P.O. Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551
{dsf, stlouis, jmcgraw, rmusick}@llnl.gov
Abstract
Data and information intensive industries require advanced
data management capabilities incorporated with large capacity storage.
Performance in this environment is, in part, a function of individual
storage and data management system performance, but most importantly
a function of the level of their integration. This paper focuses on
integration, in particular on the issue of how to use shared
metadata to facilitate high performance interfaces between Mass
Storage Systems (MSS) and advanced data management clients. Current
MSS interfaces are based on traditional file system interaction.
Increasing functionality at the interface can enhance performance
by permitting clients to influence data placement,
generate accurate cost estimates of I/O, and describe
impending I/O activity.
Flexible mechanisms are needed for providing this functionality without
compromising the generality of the interface; we are proposing
active metadata sharing. We present an architecture that
details how the shared metadata fits into the overall system
architecture and control structure, along with a first cut at what the
metadata model should look like.
Appeared in
IEEE Metadata 1996