Data storage cluster: Efficient scaling for improved performance and reliability

The Leibniz-HKI is doing research on natural products of microorganisms and infection biology of human pathogenic fungi. This involves the use of high-performance technologies that produce large amounts of data. In order to manage this data, a long-term research data infrastructure is required that is as efficient and flexible as possible and guarantees reliability, security and stability.

A demand-oriented IT infrastructure is essential in order to comply with the rules of good scientific practice and to enable future expansions, particularly in the context of large research networks such as the Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse and the Leibniz Centre for Photonics in Infection Biology. At the same time, the Leibniz-HKI is upgrading the local infrastructure for participation in the DFG-funded National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI), in which Jena is involved with several projects.

In the first phase, a modular, fail-safe scale-out storage platform was established. This platform enables high-performance research data management and protection against ransomware. Due to the capacity limits of the current system, hardware and software modules are to be expanded in order to efficiently manage data-intensive workloads and the storage of large, complex research data.

The project, which was funded by the Free State of Thuringia, was co-financed by the European Union as part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).