Case Study: University of Giessen achieves scalable, high-performance global microbial analytics with NetApp SolidFire

21st-Century Research Flourishes in 12th-Century Town

Justus Liebig University Giessen’s Institute for Systems Biology runs a global microbial bioinformatics service that supports about 2,500 researchers across roughly 300 projects, helping analyze genomes for medical and biotechnology research. Faced with diverse workloads, unpredictable surges, and a need to virtualize with OpenStack, VMware and containers, the center required highly reliable, high‑I/O, easily scalable storage that a small admin team could manage.

The team implemented NetApp SolidFire scale‑out all‑flash storage (with support from partner MCS) to deliver guaranteed QoS, seamless integration, and simple node‑based scaling. The result: robust 24/7 analytics for worldwide research, faster response to outbreaks, continued publication impact, and steady growth in users and projects.

University of Giessen

Marc Bruckskotten

System Administrator