Network-aware Replica Optimization in the SCoPE Grid infrastructure

In a Data Grid, replication of data is critical for maximizing the overall job throughput. Such replication involves the creation of copies of data files at different sites according to specific Replica Optimization strategies that define when and where replicas should be created or deleted on a per-site basis, and which replicas should be used by Grid jobs. To be really effective these strategies have to take into account the available network bandwidth as a primary resource, prior to any consideration about storage or processing power. We present a novel replica management service, integrated within the GlueDomains active network monitoring architecture, designed and implemented within the centralized collective middleware framework of the SCOPE project to provide network-aware replica optimization for data intensive applications.