British Antarctic Survey Navigates Surge of Big Data Scientific Research Requirements with High-Density, Scalable DDN Hybrid Flash Storage

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) was facing a surge in data storage requirements due to its participation in a major global initiative and increased use of scientific modeling. The organization was collecting 10 times the amount of data it gathered just 10 years ago, with the rate of change increasing dramatically. This put pressure on their data collection and storage systems. In addition, BAS became part of a major global initiative, called Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN), which required a major storage expansion. The challenge was finding a solution that could meet the organization’s requirements for high-capacity, high-performance storage within its budget parameters.

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is one of the world’s leading environmental research centers with a long and distinguished history carrying out research and surveys in the Antarctic and surrounding regions. As a component of the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC), the Cambridge-based center has undertaken the majority of Britain’s scientific research on and around the frozen continent for more than 60 years. The organization’s current research strategy is called Polar Science for Planet Earth. As part of this mission, BAS combines advanced science programs with essential logistics to carry out complicated and sophisticated scientific field research. To that end, BAS employs more than 400 staff and supports three research stations in the Antarctic located at Rothera, Halley and Signy, as well as two stations on South Georgia, at King Edward Point and Bird Island. The organization also uses ice-strengthened ships, such as the RSS James Clark Ross, and five aircraft, to drive advancements in oceanographic and climate research.