Research Activities
Highly-available Storage Systems
The first objective of this project is to improve data availability using a distributed storage system. For this purpose, we must develop a new storage system with high-availability which can be used to adaptively minimize data loss by quantitatively calculating the disaster risk at each site. By doing so we will construct a flexible storage technology that will allow more than 90% of data to be recovered quickly, even if half of the total sites were damaged by a disaster.
Risk-aware Data Replication
● Replicate data to the remote cloud and, in addition, replicate data to storage systems at nearby sites ● Choose sites where the risks of simultaneous disasters are judged to be low ● Utilize geographical factors and other conditions in the quantitative analysis |
Multi-route Restore
● Restore data to an emergency site after establishing connection routes to the remote cloud, storage systems and sites which are still available after a disaster ● In the case that local Networks are down or not connected, services will be restarted at the nearest sites containing the replicated data |
High-speed Data Transmission to Storage Servers
A huge amount of data must be transferred at high-speed in order to avoid network congestion after a disaster. Even in normal times, storage systems these days require high-speeds and huge-capacities as the transmission of high-definition pictures, video and other network traffic increases. We will develop advanced technologies for next generation hard disk drives (HDD), based on perpendicular recording, that can support higher linear densities and the simultaneous reading of multiple tracks to make the storage system itself high-speed and high-density. At the same time, we will achieve high-speed data transfer using software to adaptively control the transmission routes between storage systems, or software defined networks.
High-speed Data Transfer by HDD | |
● Development of HDD with high-linear density in stead of focusing on the area density ● Short, wide bits to improve the magnetic recording resolution ● High-speed data transfer using two dimensional magnetic recording | |
High-speed Data Transfer between Storage Systems
● Systematically divide data into parts and distribute replicas to dispersed nodes. Improve transfer speed using parallel data transfers from multiple nodes. ● Switch routes dynamically and rapidly to allow high-speed data transfer according to network traffic conditions and priority |
Basic Architecture of Software Defined Network
● A two layer model with a controller andswitches is applied. ● The controller selects and decides the most appropriate route for high-speed data transfer according to the network traffic in trunk circuits, and dynamically controls each switch at high-speed. |
Functionality Enhancement
We will develop programs (in SML#) to enable systematic access to data from Mobile Systems and the cloud, and construct a dependable information infrastructure.
Varification Test (Demonstration)
We will use a medical record management system (Electronic Medical Record), which is based at several sites in Tohoku University, Sendai, to demonstrate a highly-available information storage system.
We will use mobile equipment as a terminal and verify disaster-tolerant information availability in a hybrid-environment in cooperation with redundant storage systems at each site and the remote cloud.
● Build the storage system at Tohoku University
● Realize 100 sites using virtual machines
● Simulate system utilization by 0.1 to 1 million users consisting of dummy clients
We will use mobile equipment as a terminal and verify disaster-tolerant information availability in a hybrid-environment in cooperation with redundant storage systems at each site and the remote cloud.
● Build the storage system at Tohoku University
● Realize 100 sites using virtual machines
● Simulate system utilization by 0.1 to 1 million users consisting of dummy clients
Report of First Demonstration
(Please refer to the following which appears on the Technical Report Vol. 21 issued by Hitachi Solutions East Japan Ltd..)(written in Japanese)
● First Demonstration Experiments of Highly-functional and Highly-available Information
Storage
with Medication Record Software (written in Japanese)