In April 2016, we announced joining the iRODS consortium, a membership based organization that develops and supports the Integrated Rule-Oriented Data Systems (known as iRODS). Now, just over a year later and on the eve of Bio-IT World 2017, we’re taking a quick look at how this relationship has matured, what benefits it has brought and what you can expect from HGST at the show.
[Tweet “Bioimagery – The Titanic Challenge for Data #iRODS #bioIT17”]
A Titanic Challenge for Data
The data processing and storage needs of life sciences are tremendous. A single microscope can generate 3-5 terabytes of image data each day (and most labs operate several microscopes simultaneously); bio-imaging data analysis can see multi-terabyte files for 4D localization while genome sequencing is bringing forth a data explosion. The challenge is not only about massive capacity or costs. Scientific research requires long-term retention; data needs to be preserved in a way that will ensure future access and enable secure collaboration. Storage is only as valuable as the means with which users can access and manipulate their data.
The technical hurdles involved in attaining this productive state of data can seem daunting. These challenges sparked a solution combining an HGST object-storage system, a highly scalable solution that delivers extreme data durability, with iRODS, an open source data management software used by research organizations and government agencies worldwide
iRODS can move research data to a high performance compute environment and preserve both the original data and processed data in the HGST object-storage system, while using high performance computing storage as the scratch storage. The stored object data is managed using a sophisticated rules engine within iRODS that governs how data is stored or what actions are necessary to take on it. Data discovery is made easy using a metadata catalog that describes every file, directory, and storage resource.
HGST’s object-storage systems, like the the ActiveScale™ X100 system are built using next generation object storage technology and can scale out to over 52PB (raw) under a single namespace. Object storage combines the benefits of cost-optimized tape storage with random data accessibility of disk-based storage and all cloud benefits of flexibility, scalability and global access. ActiveScale’s BitSpread® technology enables high availability without replication. The ActiveScale system delivers extreme data durability up to seventeen 9’s using a 3-site-geospread configuration to ensure your data will be there when you need to access it for further research, collaboration or sharing with other institutes.
More details about this solution for bioimagery can be found in this use case.
Bio-IT World 2017 – We’re There for Every Analysis
Join us at Bio-IT World 2017 and see how we can help you harness the power of bioinformatics data! See product demos, speak with our team of experts and learn about our various HPC solutions for life sciences. Bio-IT World 2017 will also be a great opportunity to meet our partners:
- Find us in booth #560
- iRODS Consortium is booth #553
- Avere Systems is booth #536
- Aspera, an IBM Company, is in booth #348
- Globus is booth #351
Learn From the Experts – Join Our Speaking Session
Kent Ritchie, solutions architect, will be leading a discussion on durability in bioinformatics data. Be it primary, secondary or tertiary analysis, it’s critical to have the right technology to support your data needs.
Extreme Durability for Your Bioinformatics Data
May 24th at 5:00pm
At Harborview 2
Passport to Success
We’re running a passport program. Swing by our booth to learn about our solutions, then visit our partners at their own booths for a chance to win a prize![1]
Connect With Us on Social Media
Have a question during the show? Find us on Twitter at @HGSTStorage and get the latest from the event following the #BioIT17 hash tag. See you at Bio-IT World 2017!
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[1] NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Full details of the promotion and official Terms and Conditions will be available at the HGST booth upon request.
