ParallelFileSystem

A parallel file system (PFS), also known as a clustered file system, is a type of storage system designed to store data across multiple networked servers.

A PFS provides cluster nodes shared access to data in parallel. It enables high performance by allowing system architects to use various storage technologies and high-speed interconnects. PFS also can scale well as storage needs grow.

A PFS provides for concurrent access by multiple tasks of a parallel application to facilitate high-performance access through simultaneous, coordinated input/output operations between compute nodes and storage.

A PFS breaks up a data set and distributes, or stripes, the blocks to multiple storage drives. Users do not need to know the physical location of the data blocks to retrieve a file. The system uses a global namespace to facilitate data access.