White Papers
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
HPC applications vary widely in their I/O profiles. For instance, applications may read/write to and from files in an N-to-1 or N-to-N
manner. A failure to match these I/O needs with the proper filesystem(s) can result in poor application performance, system
underutilization and user frustration. This Dell EMC technical white paper describes sequential and random I/O performance results for
Dell EMC Isilon F800 and H600 node types. The data is intended to inform administrators on the suitability of Isilon storage clusters for
HPC various workflows.
INTRODUCTION
The goal of this document is to present a performance comparison of F800 and H600 node types, and where possible, to compare
them to other storage offerings like the Dell HPC Lustre Storage Solution and the Dell NFS Storage Solution (NSS). The same test
methodologies and the same test hardware were used where possible to generate the results.
DELL EMC ISILON
Dell EMC Isilon is a proven scale-out network attached storage (NAS) solution that can handle the unstructured data prevalent in many
different workflows. The Isilon storage architecture automatically aligns application needs with performance, capacity, and economics.
As performance and capacity demands increase, both can be scaled simply and non-disruptively, allowing applications and users to
continue working.
Dell EMC Isilon OneFS operating system powers all Dell EMC Isilon scale-out NAS storage solutions and features:
A high degree of scalability, with grow-as-you-go flexibility
High efficiency to reduce costs
Multi-protocol support such as SMB, NFS, HTTP and HDFS to maximize operational flexibility
Enterprise data protection and resiliency
Robust security options
A single Isilon storage cluster can host multiple node types to maximize deployment flexibility. Node types range from the Isilon F
(All-Flash), to H (Hybrid) and A (Archive) nodes. Each provides a different optimization point for capacity, performance, and cost.
Automated processes can be established that automatically migrate data from higher-performance, higher-cost nodes to more cost-
effective storage. Nodes can be added “on the fly,” with no disruption of user services. Additional nodes result in increased performance
(including network interconnect), capacity and resiliency.
Isilon OneFS also supports additional services for performance, security, and protection:
SmartConnect is a software module that optimizes performance and availability by enabling intelligent client connection load
balancing and failover support. Through a single host name, SmartConnect enables client connection load balancing and dynamic
NFS failover and failback of client connections across storage nodes to provide optimal utilization of the cluster resources.
SmartPools provides rule based movement of data through tiers within an Isilon cluster. Institutions can set up rules keeping the
higher performing nodes like F and H available for immediate access to data for computational needs and A-series nodes used
for all other data. It does all this while keeping data within the same namespace, which can be especially useful in a large shared
research environment.
SmartFail and Auto Balance ensure that data is protected across the entire cluster. There is no data loss in the event of any
failure and no rebuild time necessary. This contrasts favorably with other file systems such as Lustre or GPFS as they have
significant rebuild times and procedures in the event of failure with no guarantee of 100% data recovery.
SmartQuotas help control and limit data growth. Evolving data acquisition and analysis modalities coupled with significant
movement and turnover of users can lead to significant consumption of space. Institutions without a comprehensive data
management plan or practice can rely on SmartQuotas to better manage growth.
Through utilization of common network protocols such as CIFS/SMB, NFS, HDFS, SWIFT and HTTP, Isilon can be accessed from any
number of machines and by any number of users leveraging existing authentication services.