dCache Distributed Storage

The storage solution chosen by NDGF is based on dCachewhich provides most of the facilities needed in order to satisfy the LHC experiments. From the outside the dCache solution provides most of the needed features - a single SRM endpoint with support for large amounts of both disk and tape, VOMS based authentication and authorization, a number of different transport protocols etc.

However, in order to support the distributed nature of of the Nordic Tier-1 (storage will not be located at a single physical site, but distributed around the Nordic countries), NDGF is contributing to dCache with a number of improvements to decrease the overhead incurred by distribution.  Most of the improvements are in the internal workings of dCache, with the aim of avoiding traffic passing through unnecessary components.