ECFS is ECMWF's File Storage system. ECFS is a file oriented client-server application, providing facilities to store and retrieve entire files between your local workstation or server and the Data Handling System (DHS), which is based on HPSS (High Performance Storage System). The system is non-transparent: you must issue explicit commands to store files into ECFS, or to retrieve them back into local (client) storage.
ECFS files are stored in domains. Currently two domains are available to users.
| ec: | The permanent domain where files are stored indefinitely. This is the default domain. |
| ectmp: | The temporary domain where files are stored for 90 days, after which they are automatically deleted. Note that once a file has been deleted it CANNOT be recovered. |
The domain names shown above (ec:, ectmp:) are used in the various commands (see section 1) to indicate which domain you are working with.
Note that, as an alternative, the ectmp: domain can be referenced by ec:/TMP. Thus ectmp:/uid/newdir and ec:/TMP/uid/newdir are equivalent:
Files copied into ECFS are first stored on disk within ECFS and then on to magnetic tape. When a file is retrieved from ECFS it is first copied from tape on to cache disk within ECFS, then to the client system. Thus multiple retrieves of the same file will require only one read from tape, all subsequent copies being satisfied from the disk cache.
ECFS supports the transport of files between various clients and the ECFS storage system. However, the transport of files between clients is not supported.
ECFS is available on the AIX, Linux and other platforms, in both the C-shell and Korn-shell environments.
Files transferred between a client and ECFS storage can be up to 32 GB in size.
If an ECFS command fails due to a recoverable error (HPSS down, network problems, etc.), the ECFS client will retry the command until it succeeds.
ECaccess allows users to transfer files between their remote host and an ECFS domain at ECMWF.