Supermicro has launched a new and highly advanced storage system specifically tailored for artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Dubbed the “Just a Bunch of Flash” (JBOF), this innovative technology integrates multiple Nvidia BlueField-3 Data Processing Units (DPUs) with an all-flash array. Housed within a sleek 2U rack, the system is capable of supporting up to four BlueField-3 DPUs, enabling 400Gb Ethernet or InfiniBand networking. This setup offers significant hardware acceleration for demanding storage and networking operations. Unlike typical storage units, the JBOF utilizes the 16 Arm cores in each DPU to manage storage tasks, thereby enhancing performance with robust support for RoCE, GPU direct storage, and GPU-initiated storage.
The JBOF features a dual-port architecture designed for active-active clustering, which provides high availability for both scale-up and scale-out storage applications. It can accommodate either 24 or 36 SSDs, reaching a maximum raw storage capacity of 1.105 petabytes when utilizing 30.71TB SSDs. Supermicro CEO, Charles Liang, emphasized that the architecture achieves a bandwidth exceeding 250GB/s through the Gen 5 SSDs, saturating the BlueField-3’s 400 Gb/s line-rate. This remarkable throughput is essential for AI-based tasks that require rapid data processing and minimal latency.
Partnership with Nvidia and Ecosystem Development
Supermicro has unveiled a cutting-edge storage system designed for AI applications, called the “Just a Bunch of Flash” (JBOF). This advanced technology integrates multiple Nvidia BlueField-3 Data Processing Units (DPUs) with an all-flash array. Housed in a sleek 2U rack, it supports up to four BlueField-3 DPUs, offering 400Gb Ethernet or InfiniBand networking capabilities. This setup provides significant hardware acceleration for intensive storage and networking tasks. Unlike traditional storage systems, the JBOF utilizes the 16 Arm cores in each DPU to handle storage operations, delivering enhanced performance with robust support for RoCE, GPU direct storage, and GPU-initiated storage.
The JBOF features a dual-port architecture for active-active clustering, ensuring high availability for both scale-up and scale-out storage applications. It can hold either 24 or 36 SSDs, reaching a maximum raw storage capacity of 1.105 petabytes with 30.71TB SSDs. Supermicro CEO Charles Liang highlighted that the architecture achieves a bandwidth exceeding 250GB/s through the Gen 5 SSDs, saturating the BlueField-3’s 400 Gb/s line-rate. This impressive throughput is crucial for AI tasks that need rapid data processing and low latency.
