SSSWG MSSRM

PRESENT (January 10, 2001).

The "Mass Storage System Reference Model" (MSSRM) is IEEE Project 1244, "Guide for Storage System Design", an active project.

The present MSSRM has not changed since September 1994, and may be viewed in the documents section of this web site.

Those interested in the MSSRM are strongly encouraged to join in work on the "Guide for Storage System Design", which is an effort to update the MSSRM respecting the realities of storage systems six years later. The MSSRM embodies a wealth of ideas which have significantly influenced design and development of storage systems and components. And the MSSRM pre-saged the idea of net-attached storage, separation of data and control flows, and virtual storage.

PAST.

The SSSWG first met in July 1990, and produced the Mass Storage System Reference Model (MSSRM) within the first year or so. This Model has influenced the designs of several storage systems in use today. Examples of the influence of the Model are shown in the LLNL National Storage Laboratory, its HPSS Project.

The Reference Model has been revised a number of times, and renamed the IEEE Reference Model for Open Storage Systems Interconnection (OSSI). Version 5 of the OSSI Reference Model was approved for public release in September 1994.

The Model is partitioned into modules representing sets of services identified by the SSSWG as those essential to the composition of a storage system. And the SSSWG internal organization is broken into subcommittees based on those six modules:

Important Note!

All of these Project Authorization Requests (PARs) have been withdrawn, and none is active (except MOVER, which is now P1244.11 and the "Guide" P1244). Again, they are cited for historical purposes only.

• SOID (1244.1) Storage Object Identifier
• PVL (1244.2) Physical Volume Library
• PVR (1244.3) Physical Volume Repository
• MVR (1244.4) Data Mover
• MGT (1244.5) Storage System Management
• VSS (1244.6) Virtual Storage Service

The number "1244" identifies the SSSWG effort as "Project 1244" of the IEEE, much as "802" identifies the Ethernet standards.  However, the Storage System Standards Committee has multiple project numbers and projects, as do other committees.

The reference to "DOT" groups of the SSSWG has to do with each of these 1244-dot numbers, 1244.1 for SOID, 1244.2 for PVL, etc. Each "dot" group effort has an approved PAR (Project Authorization Request) from the IEEE.
The "Guide for Storage System Design" does not have a "dot" appended. It is the fundamental project of the P1244 series.