Modeling Replica Availability in Large Data Grids

Large Grid systems not only provide massive aggregated computing power but also an unprecedented amount of distributed storage space. Unfortunately, the dynamic behavior of the Grid, caused by varying resource availability, unpredictable data updates, and the impact of local site policies make it difficult to exploit the full capabilities of Data Grids. We present an analytical model for determining the optimal number of replica servers, catalog servers, and catalog sizes to guarantee a given overall reliability in the face of unreliable components. Our model captures the characteristics of peer-to-peer-like environments as well as that of Grid systems. Empirical simulations confirm the accuracy of our analytical model