Max Planck Institute Selected PoINT Software

The Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research (MPI) has freed up terabytes’ worth of measurement data by adopting the PoINT Storage Manager, benefiting in a number of ways as a result.

The institute has been able to reduce costs and backup times while also enabling audit-compliant archiving of its research data.

For many years, the MPI stored its data on HDD-based systems. This included measurement data with file sizes measured in gigabytes or terabytes which is only rarely accessed. As a result, the MPI sought out a solution which would free its primary storage of this seldom-used data. MPI’s IT staff found the right solution to their storage challenge in the PoINT Storage Manager software.

“Following a test phase in which we tested the software under every scenario we could think of, we were convinced by its ease of use thanks to its clear, intuitive interface – not to mention its wide range of functionality. Other plus points included the PoINT Storage Manager’s clear and easy-to-understand archiving and HSM rules, which can be modified and expanded as required. Moreover, the PoINT product allows us to quickly and elegantly restore data,” said Prof. Dr. Mario Looso, head of the IT and bioinformatics facility, MPI.

Since the PoINT Storage Manager was introduced, the software has archived MPI’s research data for the long term while providing transparent read access. This is made possible by so-called stubs, which allow users to read archived data without having to transfer it back to the primary storage system. This function allows the PoINT Storage Manager to free up inactive data, enabling full backups within the MPI’s desired time window.

“We see this mature software as a long-term, future-proof solution which gives us flexibility despite rising volumes of data,” said Looso, summing up the results. “We are very pleased with both the product and the service we received. PoINT meets all of our requirements in full.“