Storcloud was an initiative to provide high-performance mass storage to high performance computing applications. It existed, for several years running, in support of the annual International Conference for High Performance Computing and Communications also known as the Supercomputing Conference. Storcloud used SCinet infrastructure, in addition to its own internal network, in support of its mission.
Storcloud was introduced to the SC Conference in 2004, and continued in 2005. Storcloud served at least two purposes. The manifest purpose of Storcloud was to provide high-performance storage in support of the conference presenters' applications. A secondary, but also important purpose was to serve as a showcase for vendors of high-performance storage systems: both to show their capabilities and ability to scale, and also to demonstrate interoperability with other vendors' storage and network solutions.