Swift-on-File allows object storage using the Swift API to be deployed on a scale-out file system. This provides benefits like leveraging file system features, adding Swift to an existing file system, and having a single management plane for file and object storage. Swift-on-File implements a DiskFile for Swift that stores objects as files, allowing them to be accessed from both the Swift API and the file system. This enables use cases like running analytics directly on objects through the file system API without data transfer, and securely sharing large scientific datasets for analysis through Swift.

1. Deploying Swift
on a Scale-out
File System

2. Dean Hildebrand
IBM Research
William Owen
IBM
Thiago da Silva
Red Hat

3. Openstack Swift
“A highly available, distributed, eventually consistent object/blob store.
Organizations can use Swift to store lots of data efficiently, safely, and
cheaply.” source

4. Swift Architecture

5. Swift 2.0 - Storage Policies
Ability to choose how and where to store
objects
How: 2x or 3x replication, EC
Where: HDs, SSDs or a Scale-out File System

6. How is this accomplished?
"multiplerings"

7. Before...

8. After...

9. Why deploy a scale-out
filesystem as a backend for
Swift?

10. Benefits
Add swift to an existing
scale-out filesystem
A single management plane
for both file and object
storage

11. Leverage filesystem features
Snapshots
Encryption, compression,
deduplication
Automatic tiering
between classes of
storage
Tape Integration

12. but, what's missing?
No easy way to access object data from the file system

13. This object:
http://swift.example.com/v1/acct/cont/obj
is located here:
/mnt/swift/z1device7/objects/63773/ba2/
f91d1e7550cd32822a17b00fa86d9ba2/
1414045361.93852.data

14. Swift-on-File
A Swift DiskFile implementation used to store objects on scale-out
filesystems (e.g., GlusterFS, GPFS).
Allows objects created using Swift API to be accessed as files and
vice-versa
Map URL to file path
Deployed as a Storage Policy

15. Now, this object:
http://swift.example.com/v1/acct/cont/obj
is located here:
/mnt/swiftonfile/acct/cont/obj

16. Use Case: Multiple protocol
access

17. Use Case: Analytics

18. Problem: Separate Storage systems for
object ingest/distribution and analysis
Data duplication and
maintenance overhead
Data Consistency
Lack real-time analysis

19. Solution: Swift with Scale-out filesystem
Decreased time to results
Run MapReduce directly
on objects through native
File API
No waiting for data
transfer between storage
systems

20. Use Case: Scientific
Collaboration

21. Problem: Secure and scalable sharing of
scientific data
Native object stores not
suited to scientific data
analysis
Scale-out file systems lack
global sharing capabilities
Replicating large scientific
datasets problematic

22. Solution: Swift with Scale-out filesystem
High-Performance
Scientific applications
use filesystem directly to
achieve required
bandwidth
Immediately share results
through Swift
Secure sharing with
Keystone

23. To summarize, Swift-on-File
enables you to:
Quickly deploy object storage on a scale-out filesystem
A single system that allows you to access your data as both files and
objects
Extend an existing Swift cluster

24. What's next?
Come hear more about it during the Swift design sessions on Friday

25. Come join us...
Github: https://github.com/stackforge/swiftonfile
Launchpad: https://launchpad.net/swiftonfile
irc: #swiftonfile