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FEATURE: HYBRID WORKING FILE SYNCHRONISATION CHALLENGES IN TODAY'S HYBRID WORKPLACE JASON KENT, DIRECTOR AT OPEN SEAS, DISCUSSES TWO OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ISSUES THAT ARISE WITH MICROSOFT'S DISTRIBUTED FILE SYSTEM REPLICATION (DFS-R) AND HOW THEY CAN BE MITIGATED File synchronisation and replication is a critical component of modern network infrastructures, allowing companies to effectively distribute and share information between remote offices and disaster recovery data centres. However, the increased number of users and data processed on these networks has resulted in several common issues that IT staff must contend with. One of the main issues with DFS-R is its method of handling multiple updates to the same file by different users. The service only provides one solution: the newest file will overwrite the older file, effectively losing the changes made by the first user. Although DFS- R saves a copy of the older file locally and writes an error message in the event log, an administrator must manually retrieve it. For environments with multiple users working from different locations and servers, a solution that minimises the issue of multiple updates is necessary. One such solution is file locking, where when a user opens a file, all other copies on other devices are locked and the user is given read-only access. Once the user saves and closes the file, it is synced to other machines and the lock is released, allowing other users to edit the file. However, this approach may not suit all needs for large enterprises. For these organisations, it is advisable to look for solutions that offer collaborative file sharing between offices and with a variety of one-way and multi-way rule methods. For instance, if files are distributed from a central source, a multi-directional rule should not be used, as it could potentially cause damage to the master set of data. BALANCING USER NEEDS AND BANDWIDTH IN FILE REPLICATION Another common problem with DFS-R is the issue of throttling. The service can throttle bandwidth usage based on a per connection basis, which means that if bandwidth usage increases, DFS-R does not automatically adapt to changing network conditions. Bandwidth throttling is a common issue faced by businesses and organisations when too many users access a network at the same time. This results in slow download speeds, buffering, and other frustrating issues that can drive customers away. To address this problem, many organisations have turned to bandwidth throttling as a solution. This involves limiting the amount of data that can be transmitted over a network in a given time period, which helps to reduce congestion and improve overall performance. However, bandwidth throttling can also have negative effects. It can slow down important business processes, affect customer satisfaction, and even impact the bottom line. To address these issues, it is important to implement bandwidth throttling solutions that are both effective and fair. This might include implementing usage limits, prioritising critical applications and processes, or using more advanced solutions like traffic shaping or quality of service (QoS) policies. An even better solution is a system with advanced, dynamic throttling, where bandwidth usage is based on the percentage of bandwidth available. For example, a system using 50% of the connection would reduce its usage when other processes consume bandwidth Ultimately, the key to successful bandwidth throttling is finding the right balance between performance and fairness. By carefully considering the needs of all users, organisations can ensure that their networks run smoothly, even during periods of high usage. With the right approach, businesses can enjoy the benefits of a fast and reliable network, while avoiding the drawbacks of over-restrictive throttling policies. FINAL THOUGHTS DFS-R provides limited reporting options, limited ability to synchronise encrypted files, and no ability to synchronise files stored on FAT or ReFS volumes, making it challenging to operate efficiently in today's hybrid workplace. IT staff must adapt systems for users working from different locations while also managing varying bandwidth speeds at different times. The two common issues discussed in this article - the Last Writer Wins Algorithm and Bandwidth Throttling - highlight the need for IT staff to evaluate their file synchronisation and replication systems and determine if alternative solutions are required to meet their organisation's needs. NC 20 NETWORKcomputing FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 @NCMagAndAwards WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK
CASE STUDY BIGTWIN HAS A BIG IMPACT AT CERN SUPERMICRO SERVERS ENABLE FASTER AND MORE COMPLEX SIMULATIONS AT CERN DATA CENTRE CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. It's where researchers are uncovering what the universe consists of and how it works. At CERN, physicists and engineers use extremely complex scientific instruments, including the largest and most powerful particle accelerator in the world - the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). These studies into subatomic particles are advancing the boundaries of human knowledge by delving into the smallest building blocks of our universe. Many of the discoveries already made at CERN have had a powerful impact on several areas of everyday life, ranging from medicine to computing. As such, this is one of the most highly demanding and challenging computing environments in research. The World Wide Web was originally conceived and developed at CERN to meet the demand for automated information-sharing between scientists in universities and institutes dotted around the world. From software development to data processing and storage, networks, support for the LHC and non-LHC experimental programmes, automation and controls, as well as services for the accelerator complex and for the whole laboratory and its users, computing is at the heart of CERN's infrastructure. As a long-standing supplier to CERN, Supermicro provides accelerated enterprise computing technology that supports cuttingedge explorations in particle physics. As the search for understanding the universe's origins expands, new computing resources are constantly being evaluated and updated. The partnership between CERN and Supermicro serves to introduce new technologies to the high-performance compute cluster that processes data from the LHC. CERN scientists continue to explore enterprise innovations for CERN in collaboration with other global technology manufacturers. ADDING COMPUTE POWER WHILE MONITORING POWER CONSUMPTION To understand the results of the research experiments conducted by scientists and engineers at CERN, a significant amount of computing power is required. Therefore, it must be updated with the latest advancements in server, storage, and networking technologies, while keeping an eye on the total power consumption of the entire computing environment. CERN's infrastructure technical team worked meticulously over many months before any procurement in assessing the market for the latest technological advances. It is a qualification process that, although it can be very time-consuming, is an absolute necessity in keeping CERN at the forefront of global scientific research and, more importantly, allows for collaboration with suitable partners to assess solutions around performance, cost, operational costs, power, density, and so on. CERN selected the Supermicro AMD BigTwin A+ 2124BT-HNTR server following a lengthy evaluation process. As a result, CERN acquired over 900 Supermicro BigTwin systems, each with four nodes, for a total of approximately 3,600 server nodes. Many types of simulations and workloads take place at CERN. Most of them are used for running batch computing jobs related to physics-event reconstruction, data analysis, and simulation. In addition, part of them is used as front-ends to disk storage, collecting physics data from the experiments. Supermicro BigTwin servers are smart yet affordable investments for enterprises and institutions that need to build, expand, or future-proof advanced computing infrastructures. The high-performance, highdensity systems feature optimum airflow for energy-efficient cooling, easy maintenance, and high availability with hot-swappable nodes and redundant power supply modules. HIGH DENSITY RESULTS IN LOWER POWER CONSUMPTION CERN saw an increase in the performance of many simulation applications. In addition, with the high density of the Supermicro BigTwin systems with AMD EPYC processors, the power usage was lower than expected due to the shared cooling and power systems. With the AMD EPYC 7XXX CPU, applications ran faster than previous generations of CPUs, helping scientists perform more research to understand more about the world we live in. "We have worked alongside Supermicro for many years, and their attention to the design and engineering of the Supermicro BigTwin architecture has constantly increased. Thousands of compute nodes of the latest AMD EPYC based Supermicro BigTwin platform were deployed in the CERN computing facilities. This illustrates the highquality of these systems, both in terms of performance and reliability", said Eric Bonfillou, CERN IT Facility Planning and Procurement. NC WWW.NETWORKCOMPUTING.CO.UK FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 21 NETWORKcomputing @NCMagAndAwards
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NC Feb-Mar 2023

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