XRootD plug-in based solutions for site specific require-ments

GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Planckstraße, 1, 64291, Darmstadt, Germany

^* e-mail: J.Knedlik@gsi.de
^** e-mail: P.Kramp@gsi.de
^*** e-mail: K.Schwarz@gsi.de
^**** e-mail: T.Kollegger@gsi.de
^† http://xrootd.org/

Published online: 17 September 2019

Abstract

XRootD^† has been established as a standard for WAN data access in HEP and HENP. Site specific features, like those existing at GSI, have historically been hard to implement with native methods. XRootD allows a custom replacement of basic functionality for native XRootD functions through the use of plug-ins. XRootD clients allow this since version 4.0. In this contribution, our XRootD based developments motivated by the use in the current ALICE Tier 2 Centre at GSI and the upcoming ALICE Analysis Facility will be shown. Among other things, an XRootD redirector plug-in which redirects local clients directly to a shared file system, as well as the needed changes to the XRootD base code, which are publicly available since XRootD version 4.8.0, will be presented. Furthermore, a prototype for an XRootD based disk caching system for opportunistic resources has been developed.