Storage Resource Broker
From GridInfo
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Background information
The Storage Resource Broker (SRB), developed at the San Diego Supercomputing Center (SDSC), provides access to distributed data from any single point of access. From the viewpoint of the user, the SRB gives a virtual file system, with access to data being based on data attributes and logical names rather than on physical location or real names. Physical location is seen as a file characteristic only. One of the features of the SRB is that it allows users to easily replicate data across different physical file systems in order to provide an additional level of file protection. The SRB runs on various versions of Unix, Linux, Apple's Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows.
The SRB has been used in production since 1997. It is finding applications in a number of grid-computing and data management projects across the range of physical and biological/medical sciences.
SRB source distributions are freely available to academic and non-profit organizations. A commercial version (which diverged from the SDSC version in 2001) is available from Nirvana.
The data architecture
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InQ: the windows graphical interface
The InQ interface is described in more detail here.
MySRB: the web browser interface
MySRB is the standard web interface to the SRB, and is perhaps the easiest way into the SRB. It provides a view of your files within the SRB with a number of file management tools. Navigation around the SRB via the web interface is reasonably straightforward. Web buttons and pull-down menues provide access to tools for data access control, data replication, metadata management etc.
The MySRB interface is described in more detail here.
The Scommands: the unix line-command interface
The Scommands are a set of unix commands to provide direct interaction with the SRB. They can either be used within an interactive shell, or within scripts. There is a complete set of man pages to support the Scommands.
The Scommands are described in more details here.
Programming interfaces
In addtion to the use of the Scommands, there are three programming interfaces to the SRB with their own APIs:
NIEeS SRB test service
The NIEeS runs a testbed SRB service that is available for trying out the SRB. We offer accounts and storage space, and personal advice and help. We don't offer guarantees on data protection because this is a test service rather than a production-level service (although if there is demand we could create run a production-level service in conjunction with the UK National Grid Service).
We will support the three interfaces - InQ, MySRB and Scommands - described above. We will also support the development of applications that link in with the SRB.
To obtain an acccount, you need to contact the NIEeS team. We do not have any formalities such as application forms: just get in touch!
Relevant links
- NIEeS MySRB link
- Details of NIEeS SRB settings required when accessing the SRB from InQ or MySRB
- Details of NIEeS .SRB files required when accessing the SRB using the unix/linux Scommands
