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FAQs for Contributing Trace Files

Who can contribute I/O Trace Data files to IOTTA Repository?

You do not have to be a member of the IOTTA TWG or a SNIA member to contribute I/O Trace Data files to the IOTTA Repository. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to contribute I/O Trace Data files to the IOTTA Repository.

What kinds of I/O traces are of interest to the IOTTA TWG?

The IOTTA TWG is interested in contributions for a wide variety of storage-related I/O trace types. The types of I/O traces currently of particular interest to the IOTTA TWG are noted within the "About Repository" FAQ information.

In addition, I/O traces that have been recently collected and that reflect the use of contemporary storage technologies would be of great benefit to the IOTTA Repository. Similarly, I/O traces of representative workloads would be of value.

How should I prepare traces for publication?

Traces will be published most quickly if they follow our guidelines for file format, size, and metadata.

What are the licensing terms for contributing I/O Trace Data files to the IOTTA Repository?

The SNIA Contributor License specifies the licensing terms for contributing I/O Trace Data files to the IOTTA Repository. These licensing terms must be accepted in order to contribute I/O Trace Data files for inclusion within the IOTTA Repository.

What is required in order to contribute an I/O Trace Data file to the IOTTA Repository?

Contributing an I/O Trace Data file to the IOTTA Repository requires that you agree to all of the licensing terms of the SNIA Contributor License.

Once you have agreed to the license, we will contact you and arrange to transfer the contribution. Contributions can usually be made electronically, although we also accept physical media when that is more convenient.

Your consent to the licensing terms of the "SNIA Trace Data Files Contributor License" must precede or accompany your contribution.

In addition, you are required to provide specific information about the I/O Trace Data file that you are contributing. This specific information, which must accompany your I/O Trace Data file contribution, is outlined immediately below.

Note that the I/O Trace Data file submission procedure is subject to change at any time by SNIA and the IOTTA TWG.

What information about the I/O Trace Data file do I need to submit with my contribution?

You are required to specify the following information about the I/O Trace Data file that you are contributing to the IOTTA Repository:

1. Your name.
2. Your affiliation name (e.g., company/entity name).
3. Your e-mail address.
4. Name that you have given to the I/O trace.
5. Number of records within the I/O Trace Data file.
6. When the I/O trace was collected (i.e., year/date when the I/O trace was taken).
7. Time span covered by the I/O Trace Data file (i.e., the length of time over which the I/O trace was taken).
8. Type of I/O trace (e.g., system call, file system, NFS, CIFS, SCSI, etc.).
9. General categorization of workload (e.g., OLTP, web-services, software development, etc.).
10. Additional information (including contextual) about the I/O Trace data file (e.g., trace format description, platform upon which the I/O trace was taken, tool used to capture the I/O trace, etc.) as outlined immediately below.

What kind of additional information about the I/O Trace Data file would be helpful to include when submitting with my contribution?

The usefulness of an I/O Trace Data file is often contingent upon the adequate presence of the following information:

1. Trace format description (e.g., field offsets, field types, what specific fields represent, etc.).
2. Trace workload description (i.e., additional information about the application associated with the I/O trace, such as how the application was set up, what it was doing at the time that the I/O trace data was collected, etc.).
3. Trace environment description (i.e., information about the system context within which the I/O trace was collected). The system context information would include basic information about the host computer system (e.g., machine/processor/memory/etc. information, operating system type and version information, etc.), the storage system (e.g., device type information along with configuration and connection information), and the network (as applicable).

Providing additional information such as that suggested above can be extremely helpful in analyzing and using an I/O Trace Data file. Moreover, such information can help others more easily and quickly determine how well a particular I/O Trace Data file can meet their specific interests and needs.

How do I contribute an I/O Trace Data file to the IOTTA Repository?

Currently, I/O Trace Data file contributions must be submitted to SNIA using physical media.

The following is required to be submitted along with your physical media:

1. A completed, signed copy of the Contributor License.
2. Attach to the completed Contributor License a directory listing that shows the contributed files and a
   brief
   description of the contributed material that serves to identify the licensed material.
3. Information about the I/O Trace Data file(s) as outlined above.

The SNIA address to which the physical media is to be sent is provided within the SNIA Contributor License. Please note that submitted media becomes the property of SNIA.

For further questions or shipping details, please contact us.

What physical media can I use to send my I/O Trace Data files?

The following physical media types can be used to send your I/O Trace Data file contributions to SNIA:

1. DVD
2. CD-ROM
3. Portable Hard Drives
4. USB Flash Drives

Please note that submitted media becomes the property of SNIA. For further questions or shipping details, please contact us.