RMACC HPC Symposium 2024

High-performance computing (HPC) systems are often used to process vast amounts of data in scientific research, engineering, and other fields. As data is generated at a greater rate and complexity, the management of data becomes a significant challenge for HPC users. Imagine trying to find a deceased researcher’s data files from seventeen years ago.  Now, let’s say you found the data but there are 400 data sets that are just binary files numbered sequentially and you don’t know which of the results are of interest to you?

The importance of metadata in HPC moving forward cannot be overstated. It is a fundamental technology that enables researchers to better understand their data, making it easier to search, access, and analyze. Metadata can describe the structure, content, and context of data, empowering researchers to quickly find and access the information they need without having to search through vast amounts of data. It can also be used to ensure the quality and accuracy of data including tracking the data's provenance and usage.

Metadata is especially useful in large-scale scientific research projects where data is shared among multiple researchers and institutions. Evolving technologies like Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) have been as revolutionary for digital data as the Dewey Decimal System was for books in libraries. Metadata can help researchers understand how the data was generated, what assumptions were made, and what processing steps were taken. It can also be used to ensure data consistency and accuracy across different locations, allowing researchers to collaborate more effectively, and deliver results sooner.

And metadata saves money. HPC systems often require massive amounts of storage, which can be difficult to manage without an efficient and scalable data management solution. Metadata can be used to organize data and make it more manageable, reducing the amount of storage required, and free you up to choose the storage technology that best fits your workflow. This can lead to significant cost savings for institutions, as well as improved data management and processing.
 
Target Audience: Everyone! Whether representing a big organization or themselves, intelligent use of metadata can substantially reduce the time and expense needed for data management.