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.

These file systems provide cluster nodes with shared access to data in parallel. They enable 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 nodes.

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.