16–19 Mar 2026
CERN
Europe/Zurich timezone
There is a live webcast for this event.

Modern I/O and Storage Systems for Scientific Computing (Lecture 2)

19 Mar 2026, 14:00
1h
31/3-004 - IT Amphitheatre (CERN)

31/3-004 - IT Amphitheatre

CERN

105
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Speaker

Gianmaria Del Monte (CERN)

Description

Abstract

I/O bottlenecks are often the hidden performance killers in HEP data analysis, yet many scientists lack a deep understanding of how storage systems actually work. This lecture demystifies the complete I/O stack (from application code to physical storage) and introduces both classical and modern techniques for optimal performance. We’ll explore fundamental concepts (buffered I/O, direct I/O, mmap), diagnose real bottlenecks using Linux tools, and cover network I/O patterns critical for Grid jobs. The session culminates with modern asynchronous I/O APIs like io_uring that are revolutionizing high-performance computing. Participants will leave with practical skills to optimize their analysis workflows and a solid foundation for future learning.

Topics

Fundamentals and Diagnosis

  • I/O stack and core concepts
  • Diagnosing I/O performance problems
  • Optimization strategies for local storage

Network I/O, Frameworks, and Modern APIs

  • Network I/O for Grid Computing
  • Modern Asynchronous I/O APIs
  • Quick reference for common HEP scenarios

Hands-On Session (examples)

  • Profile and diagnose I/O bottlenecks in analysis code
  • Optimize ROOT analysis workflow
  • Build simple async storage system with io_uring
Number of lecture hours 2
Number of exercise hours 1
Attended school tCSC 2024 Heterogenous Architectures (Belgrade)

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