Shared cluster storage for bioinformatics

Hi, Andreas.

As you might remember, I've been using and advocating the "LizardFS" SDS 
(Software Defined Storage) filesystem as shared cluster storage for my 
bioinformatics work for a long time. I used it for many years on the HPC 
cluster I built at the Mario Negri Institute in Milan and on my servers 
in Italy. I'm currently using "LizardFS" at AAU (Assam Agricultural 
University) in India and also on my own 'Garage' cluster in Scotland.

However, I've become increasingly worried about the abrupt removal of 
"LizardFS" from Debian/Ubuntu repositories because of FTCFS errors and, 
in particular, long-term support for the research group I work for at 
AAU. So, I've been looking for an alternative SDS cluster filesystem.

I've looked at several SDS alternatives but, recently, I found out about 
"SaunaFS" in a comment on the "LizardFS" repo:

> https://github.com/lizardfs/lizardfs/issues/805#issuecomment-2238866486

I followed this up and took a look at the "SaunaFS" GitHub" repo:

> https://github.com/aNeutrino/open-saunafs

This looks promising as a replacement for "LizardFS" and, today, I had a 
meeting online with Aleksandr Ragel and the "SaunaFS" team at "leil 
Storage":

> https://leil.io/

This company sells storage hardware and, when "LizardFS" ceased trading, 
they hired some of the former "LizardFS" developers to work for them on 
"SaunaFS":

> https://saunafs.com/

This is NOT a version of "LizardFS", but "SaunaFS" does use some of the 
code from "LizardFS" and is being developed as a completely open-source 
filesystem that underpins their commercial storage products and paid for 
commercial support.

During our conversation, I asked Aleksandr if they plan to issue an RFP 
(Request for Packaging) for Debian/Ubuntu. I've already compiled my own 
'unofficial' deb's from their GitHub sources under Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. 
However, at present, the official "SaunaFS" deb's are only available on 
request from their company's private repo.

Whilst I realise that this is not quite within your remit as the leader 
of the "Debian-Med" project I believe that people who use your packages 
might be interested in "SaunaFS" as shared storage for bioinformatics.

If Aleksandr or one of the "SaunaFS" team post an RFP to:

> https://wiki.debian.org/WNPP

Would you, as a Debian Developer, be willing to take an interest, or ask 
another developer who might be interested?

Thanks,

   Tony.