@Article{kotz:flexibility,
  author = {David Kotz and Nils Nieuwejaar},
  title = {Flexibility and Performance of Parallel File Systems},
  journal = {ACM Operating Systems Review},
  year = {1996},
  month = {April},
  volume = {30},
  number = {2},
  pages = {63--73},
  publisher = {ACM Press},
  copyright = {the authors},
  later = {kotz:flexibility2},
  URL = {http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~dfk/papers/kotz:flexibility.ps.gz},
  URLpdf = {http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~dfk/papers/kotz:flexibility.pdf},
  keywords = {parallel I/O, multiprocessor file system, dfk, pario-bib},
  abstract = {Many scientific applications for high-performance multiprocessors
  have tremendous I/O requirements. As a result, the I/O system is often the
  limiting factor of application performance. Several new parallel file systems
  have been developed in recent years, each promising better performance for
  some class of parallel applications. As we gain experience with parallel
  computing, and parallel file systems in particular, it becomes increasingly
  clear that a single solution does not suit all applications. For example, it
  appears to be impossible to find a single appropriate interface, caching
  policy, file structure, or disk management strategy. Furthermore, the
  proliferation of file-system interfaces and abstractions make application
  portability a significant problem. \par We propose that the traditional
  functionality of parallel file systems be separated into two components: a
  fixed core that is standard on all platforms, encapsulating only primitive
  abstractions and interfaces, and a set of high-level libraries to provide a
  variety of abstractions and application-programmer interfaces (APIs). We
  think of this approach as the ``RISC'' of parallel file-system design. \par
  We present our current and next-generation file systems as examples of this
  structure. Their features, such as a three-dimensional file structure,
  strided read and write interfaces, and I/O-node programs, are specifically
  designed with the flexibility and performance necessary to support a wide
  range of applications.},
  comment = {A position paper.}
}