Supermicro has recently introduced an advanced AI-optimized storage system designed with Nvidia’s cutting-edge technology, aiming to revolutionize the storage and networking workloads landscape. This new storage solution, referred to as a Just a Bunch of Flash (JBOF) system, is built with the capability to integrate up to four Nvidia BlueField-3 Data Processing Units (DPUs) within a compact 2U rack. One of the standout features of this system is its support for 400Gb Ethernet or InfiniBand networking, offering top-tier hardware acceleration for storage and networking tasks that demand high performance.
The inclusion of multiple BlueField-3 DPUs within the JBOF system replaces the traditional storage CPU and memory subsystems. Each DPU houses 16 Arm cores, driving support for advanced functionalities such as RoCE, GPU direct storage, and GPU-initiated storage. This technological advancement ensures that the system delivers robust performance while managing increasingly complex and fast-paced data processing needs. Furthermore, the JBOF’s dual-port architecture facilitates active-active clustering. This means the system can ensure high availability and reliability for both scale-up and scale-out storage applications, making it suitable for a variety of demanding environments including object storage and parallel file systems.
Technical Advancements and Capacity
The JBOF system impresses with its storage capacities and bandwidth capabilities, accommodating either 24 or 36 SSDs. It boasts a remarkable maximum raw storage capacity of 1.105 petabytes (PB) when utilizing 30.71TB SSDs, showcasing its potential to handle vast amounts of data efficiently. Charles Liang, President and CEO of Supermicro, emphasized that their innovative design can achieve bandwidths surpassing 250GB/s when equipped with Gen 5 SSDs. This capability underlines the system’s suitability for high-speed data processing and its role in supporting modern AI workloads.
Supermicro’s collaboration with Nvidia extends beyond hardware. They are working together to build a comprehensive JBOF ecosystem that incorporates software platforms from Hammerspace and Cloudian, which are designed to operate natively on the BlueField-3 DPUs. This collaborative approach aims to maximize the performance and efficiency of the storage infrastructure, further enhancing the system’s capabilities to meet the evolving demands of AI and data-intensive applications. By leveraging Nvidia’s expertise and innovative technology, Supermicro is poised to deliver a robust and high-performing storage solution to the market.
Industry Trends and Challenges
Supermicro has recently launched an advanced AI-optimized storage system utilizing Nvidia’s cutting-edge technology, designed to transform the landscape of storage and networking workloads. This new solution, called a Just a Bunch of Flash (JBOF) system, can integrate up to four Nvidia BlueField-3 Data Processing Units (DPUs) within a compact 2U rack. One of the most notable features is its support for 400Gb Ethernet or InfiniBand networking, providing top-tier hardware acceleration for demanding storage and networking tasks.
The JBOF system’s inclusion of multiple BlueField-3 DPUs replaces traditional storage CPU and memory subsystems. Each DPU includes 16 Arm cores, supporting advanced features like RoCE, GPU direct storage, and GPU-initiated storage. This ensures robust performance and the capability to handle increasingly complex and rapid data processing needs. Additionally, the JBOF’s dual-port architecture enables active-active clustering, which guarantees high availability and reliability. This makes it ideal for both scale-up and scale-out storage applications, such as object storage and parallel file systems, catering to various demanding environments.
