The National Centre for High-Performance Computing in Taiwan has joined the iRODS Consortium, the membership organisation that leads development and support of the integrated Rule-Oriented Data System data management software.
NCHC operates within the National Institutes of Applied Research. It provides high-performance computing and related services for research organisations and industry in Taiwan. The iRODS Consortium oversees the open-source iRODS software and coordinates its development and support through its members.
NCHC said it works across high-performance computing, AI, large-scale data services and scientific research. The organisation also said it continues to build new computing platforms and academic research networks. NCHC also cited work in information security, data encryption, quantum computing and big data analysis.
iRODS is used by research, commercial and government organisations. The software manages and shares large data sets and associated metadata across organisations and platforms. It also includes a mechanism for defining rules for data storage, processing and distribution. The Consortium said iRODS is designed for collaboration, interoperability and scalability in data infrastructures.
Trusted cloud
NCHC described its use of iRODS within its proprietary Trusted-Cloud Platform. NCHC said the platform aligns with the Trusted Research Environment framework. NCHC said its architecture uses the “Five Safes” model.
NCHC said its cloud platform security mechanisms address Safe People, Safe Projects and Safe Outputs. It said iRODS plays a role in Safe Settings and Safe Data.
NCHC said iRODS can register existing files without creating extra replicas. It also stated that iRODS supports heterogeneous storage filesystems. NCHC said this approach allows integration of legacy storage facilities. It also stated that it provides secure authorisation for data access for researchers.
One NCHC leader linked Consortium membership to operational requirements for managing sensitive data.
“Managing infrastructure for sensitive data carries significant responsibility. Joining the iRODS Consortium gives us direct access to the development team, the latest features, and expert support. This ensures our system integrations and configurations remain perfectly aligned with our evolving security requirements,” said Chang-Wei Yeh, Principal Engineer and the Lead of the Sensitive Data Authorisation System, NCHC.
Consortium view
The iRODS Consortium Executive Director said the membership formalises an existing relationship and points to expected use in scientific environments.
“We are very excited to continue our collaboration with NCHC and welcome them to the Consortium.” said Terrell Russell, iRODS Consortium Executive Director, iRODS Consortium. “As an HPC center with numerous scientific requirements, we expect the programmability of the iRODS ecosystem to shine in their capable hands.”
The iRODS Consortium said iRODS has been deployed at thousands of locations worldwide for long-term data management. It listed sectors that include oil and gas, biosciences, physical sciences, archives, and media and entertainment.
The iRODS development team is based at the Renaissance Computing Institute. RENCI is affiliated with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the US. NCHC’s membership adds a Taiwanese high-performance computing organisation to the Consortium’s global roster, as iRODS continues to feature in distributed storage and data governance projects that cross institutional boundaries.