National Human Genome Research Institute Selects Coraid EtherDrive SAN

CORAID, Inc. announced that the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) has implemented CORAID EtherDrive SAN as the storage environment for the organization’s research into the human genome. Massive amounts of storage are required to run the NHGRI’s unique computing platforms and to perform computationally complex algorithms used to study the human genetic code found in DNA.

"For bioinformatics applications requiring large volume, fast shared storage, EtherDrive is the ideal combination of high-performance computing based on industry-standard open source software that offers scalability and economy over simple Ethernet connections," said Jim Kemp, CEO, CORAID. "We’re very pleased to support the NHGRI in its pioneering research."

The NHGRI first deployed CORAID EtherDrive three years ago and has integrated the EtherDrive SR2461 with 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections between the SAN storage and the HPC cluster to ensure data integrity and meet the performance demands of genomic research. Computer assisted sequencing and modeling algorithms run on the Institute’s Linux operating environments. NHGRI also deployed EtherDrive SR1521 for their primary storage purposes and EtherDrive SR2421 disk to disk backup storage.

CORAID EtherDrive SAN is a scalable network storage solution that fits public research budgets. Delivering Fibre Channel speeds at Ethernet prices, EtherDrive SAN is affordably fast, simple to understand and easy to use. Built on the open ATA-over-Ethernet (AoE) lightweight SAN protocol, EtherDrive provides enterprise-class storage that embraces virtualization for the demands of today’s IT organizations.

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) located in Rockville, Maryland is part of the National Institutes of Health Agency under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This institution conducts basic research to understand the human genetic code found in DNA, using computer assisted sequencing and modeling algorithms. These computationally complex algorithms require unique computing platforms with massive amounts of storage.