Supermicro Adds New Petascale JBOF All-Flash Storage Solution Integrating NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPU for AI Data Pipeline Acceleration

Rhea-AI Summary

Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI) has launched a new optimized storage system for high-performance AI training, inference, and HPC workloads. The JBOF (Just a Bunch of Flash) system utilizes up to four NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs in a 2U form factor, featuring 400Gb Ethernet or InfiniBand networking and hardware acceleration for storage and networking workloads. The system supports 24 or 36 SSDs, enabling up to 1.105PB of raw capacity using 30.71TB SSDs.

The new JBOF architecture enables active-active clustering for high availability and supports both E3.S and U.2 form-factor SSDs. Supermicro has collaborated with NVIDIA to create a new JBOF ecosystem, including partnerships with Hammerspace and Cloudian. The system offers improved power efficiency compared to CPU-based storage servers and lower read latency due to its direct data path architecture.

Positive

• Launch of a new high-performance JBOF storage system for AI and HPC workloads
• Integration of up to four NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs with 400Gb Ethernet or InfiniBand networking
• Support for up to 1.105PB of raw storage capacity
• Collaboration with NVIDIA to create a new JBOF ecosystem
• Improved power efficiency compared to CPU-based storage servers

Negative

• None.

New JBOF Architecture Enables Storage ISVs and Cloud Service Providers to Build High-Performance, Efficient, and Intelligent Data Platforms for the Era of AI

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Supermicro, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI), a Total IT Solution Provider for AI, Cloud, Storage, and 5G/Edge, is launching a new optimized storage system for high performance AI training, inference and HPC workloads. This JBOF (Just a Bunch of Flash) system utilizes up to four NVIDIA BlueField-3 data processing units (DPUs) in a 2U form factor to run software-defined storage workloads. Each BlueField-3 DPU features 400Gb Ethernet or InfiniBand networking and hardware acceleration for high computation storage and networking workloads such as encryption, compression and erasure coding, as well as AI storage expansion. The state-of-the-art, dual port JBOF architecture enables active-active clustering ensuring high availability for scale up mission critical storage applications as well as scale-out storage such as object storage and parallel file systems.

"Supermicro's new high performance JBOF Storage System is designed using our Building Block approach which enables support for either E3.S or U.2 form-factor SSDs and the latest PCIe Gen 5 connectivity for the SSDs and the DPU networking and storage platform," said Charles Liang, president and CEO of Supermicro. "Supermicro's system design supports 24 or 36 SSD's enabling up to 1.105PB of raw capacity using 30.71TB SSDs. Our balanced network and storage I/O design can saturate the full 400 Gb/s BlueField-3 line-rate realizing more than 250GB/s bandwidth of the Gen 5 SSDs."

For more information on the Supermicro's storage solutions for AI, please visit: https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/storage.

The Supermicro JBOF with NVIDIA BlueField-3 solution replaces the traditional storage CPU and memory subsystem with the BlueField-3 DPU and runs the storage application on the DPU's 16 Arm cores. In addition to storage acceleration such as erasure coding and decompression algorithms, the BlueField-3 also accelerates networking through hardware support for RoCE (RDMA over Converged Ethernet), GPU Direct Storage and GPU Initiated Storage.

"Accelerated computing and AI are transforming every industry and delivering benefits for society," said Kevin Deierling, senior vice president of networking at NVIDIA. "NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs enable innovative solutions like the Supermicro Petascale JBOF, which is the foundation for a new class of AI data platforms delivering extreme performance and efficiency."

In collaboration with NVIDIA, Supermicro is creating a new JBOF ecosystem including data platform company Hammerspace and object storage provider Cloudian to enable these storage infrastructure software platforms to run natively on the NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPU in the Supermicro JBOF. In addition, Supermicro has qualified SSDs from Micron and KIOXIA with the JBOF system to provide a range of capacities and single and dual-port capability.

"The Supermicro JBOF using NVIDIA's BlueField-3 DPU offers a highly integrated storage approach for large-scale AI training and analytics storage workloads," said Ashish Nadkarni, Group Vice President and General Manager, Worldwide Infrastructure Research at IDC. "This implementation provides a more power efficient solution than CPU-based storage servers and lower read latency due to the direct data path provided by the JBOF and DPU architecture. Supermicro and NVIDIA have assembled an ecosystem of partners which makes this something that all large-scale AI, CSP and HPC customers should consider."

For more information about the new JBOF product, please visit: https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/jbof

Supermicro, in collaboration with NVIDIA, will present the new JBOF solution with the NVIDIA BlueField-3 in more detail at the OCP Global conference in San Jose, California, on Wednesday, October 16. Visit Supermicro at Booth B21 and attend the session "High Performance Data Center Storage using DPUs" to learn more.

About Super Micro Computer, Inc.

Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI) is a global leader in Application-Optimized Total IT Solutions. Founded and operating in San Jose, California, Supermicro is committed to delivering first-to-market innovation for Enterprise, Cloud, AI, and 5G Telco/Edge IT Infrastructure. We are a Total IT Solutions provider with server, AI, storage, IoT, switch systems, software, and support services. Supermicro's motherboard, power, and chassis design expertise further enables our development and production, enabling next-generation innovation from cloud to edge for our global customers. Our products are designed and manufactured in-house (in the US, Taiwan, and the Netherlands), leveraging global operations for scale and efficiency and optimized to improve TCO and reduce environmental impact (Green Computing). The award-winning portfolio of Server Building Block Solutions® allows customers to optimize for their exact workload and application by selecting from a broad family of systems built from our flexible and reusable building blocks that support a comprehensive set of form factors, processors, memory, GPUs, storage, networking, power, and cooling solutions (air-conditioned, free air cooling or liquid cooling).

Supermicro, Server Building Block Solutions, and We Keep IT Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro Computer, Inc.

All other brands, names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

 

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SOURCE Super Micro Computer, Inc.

FAQ

What is the maximum raw storage capacity of Supermicro's new JBOF system?

Supermicro's new JBOF system can support up to 1.105PB of raw storage capacity using 30.71TB SSDs.

How many NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs does the new Supermicro JBOF system use?

The new Supermicro JBOF system utilizes up to four NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs in a 2U form factor.

What networking speeds does the Supermicro JBOF system with NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs support?

The system supports 400Gb Ethernet or InfiniBand networking through the NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs.

Which companies has Supermicro (SMCI) partnered with for the new JBOF ecosystem?

Supermicro has partnered with Hammerspace and Cloudian to enable their storage infrastructure software platforms to run natively on the NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPU in the Supermicro JBOF.