NEC CDI Solution:
NEC Corporation announced the launch of its “NEC Composable Disaggregated Infrastructure Solution” in Japan, enabling flexible and distributed deployment of computing resources such as servers and GPUs. This solution aims to reduce capital investment and operating costs for data centers and research institutions, while also promoting energy efficiency, by leveraging NEC’s proprietary “ExpEther” technology for reliable and low-latency transmission of IT equipment signals.
The demand for AI applications, including generative AI and data analysis, has been rapidly expanding. However, data centers and research institutions face challenges in flexibly scaling resources, leading to increased capital investment and operational costs. Servers are often configured to handle peak loads, resulting in over-provisioning of resources, wasted power, and rising costs due to frequent equipment upgrades. As a result, there is a strong need for efficient, energy-saving, and flexible operational approaches.
This solution can separate components such as CPUs and GPUs from their physical enclosures, enabling them to be distributed over data center-scale networks. This facilitates flexible and efficient operation of various resources within data centers and enterprises, maximizing the overall utilization efficiency of systems. Its effectiveness has been confirmed through joint verification with Osaka University and at the NEC Inzai Data Center, with results being progressively published on NEC’s website.
1. High Scalability and Flexible System Construction
The solution consists of ExpEther boards equipped with a 100G version of the ExpEther IP core (*1) which enables 100Gbps Ethernet optical fiber connectivity, an expansion IO Box capable of housing eight GPUs, and the NEC Composable Disaggregated Infrastructure Manager (*2) for efficient resource operations. These components allow for the flexible, large scale distributed deployment of computing resources, free from constraints of enclosures or installation locations. This enables flexible and dynamic configuration of computing resources across different floors or buildings within data centers or enterprises, according to the power supply and cooling capabilities of each location. Furthermore, equipment upgrades can be performed flexibly on a per-device basis, maintaining high scalability while keeping initial costs low.
2. Efficient Utilization of Computing Resources and Cost Reduction
The ability to flexibly allocate resources as needed prevents resource shortages during peak times and avoids idle assets. Additionally, by turning off unused resources, power consumption is suppressed, contributing to significant reductions in capital investment and operational costs through effective utilization of computing resources.
Configuration of the NEC Composable Disaggregated Infrastructure Solution
The “NEC CDI Solution” represents a significant step forward in optimizing computing resource management. By enabling flexible, distributed deployment and efficient utilization of resources, NEC aims to address critical challenges faced by data centers and research institutions. Moving forward, NEC will first launch this solution in the Japanese market. NEC will continue to innovate and expand this technology for various sectors, contributing to the development of more efficient and sustainable digital infrastructure.
(*1) This article is based on results obtained from a project, JPNP20017, subsidized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
(*2) This article is based on results obtained from a project, JPNP21029, subsidized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
