Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Oxford Implements Hybrid Scale-Out NAS for High-Performance Computing

Oxford University has implemented a hybrid scale-out network-attached storage (NAS) system to support its high-performance computing (HPC) center for research.

According to Andrew Richards, head of the Advanced Research Computing (ARC) Centre at Oxford, the center doesn't have a large IT support staff available at all times, so they needed a solution that offered "manageability, load balancing and performance monitoring," he said in a prepared statement. The solution also needed to be compatible with a range of HPC systems already in place at the center.

The university selected the ActiveStor 14 hybrid scale-out NAS system from Panasas with 330 TB of storage. According to the company, the system provides the university with "a single pool of storage under a global name space." The technology is based on a fifth-generation storage blade architecture, uses a combination of high capacity hard disk drives and solid state drives and runs the Panasas PanFS storage operating system. According to information on the company's site, the ActiveStor 14 system is suitable for environments requiring high capacity and throughput.

The ARC Centre provides researchers throughout the university with access to HPC resources, including distributed memory, shared memory and graphics-processing unit (GPU)-enabled HPC clusters. According to the company, the ActiveStor 14 system will provide university researchers "with the storage required for home areas, general purpose mid-term projects and high-performance short-term jobs."

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • laptop displaying a red padlock icon sits on a wooden desk with a digital network interface background

    Malware Turns Microsoft 365 Calendar Into Covert Attack Vector

    Security researchers at Group-IB have uncovered a Windows malware strain that turns Microsoft 365 calendars into covert channels for receiving commands and stealing files from targeted organizations.

  • Futuristic metallic block with pixelated digital erosion effect

    Report: AI May Be Eroding the Very Skills Employers Need Most

    AI is changing which human capabilities matter most at work, yet employees are reporting that some of those same capabilities are being eroded, according to a new IBM study.

  • Glowing route lines merging into single gold pathway

    Microsoft Merges Copilot Apps Into a Single User Experience

    Microsoft recently announced it is consolidating its consumer Copilot app and Microsoft 365 Copilot app into a single destination, addressing a fragmented product strategy that has required users to navigate separate applications for AI chat and productivity tools.

  • man viewing holographic display of data and code

    Why Cross-Skilling Is the Smartest Investment a Campus IT Team Can Make

    Higher education IT teams are being asked to keep pace with AI, cloud, and cybersecurity on flat budgets, and hiring a specialist for every new need can no longer keep up. Building adjacent skills across the people already on staff creates more agile, resilient teams that move faster and retain talent without adding headcount. Pluralsight makes the strategy work through skill assessments, tailored learning paths, hands-on labs and sandboxes, and microlearning that fits into the flow of work.