Re:Ethernet SSDs – Hands-On with the Kioxia EM6 NVMeoF
by rektide on Thursday April 21, 2022 @08:23PM
(#31116803)
A nas like you propose is a bunch of drives, connected to a cpu, connected to a nic. Which then talks to a switch that the actual box using the drive connects to.
This solution proposes dropping a lot of hardware & getting the same outcome. There's one box with 12x 100Gbe on the back (across two switches) and a bunch of nvme (over rdma ethernet, "NVMeoF") plugged directly into that switch.
Why bother having a whole cpu & expensive nic just to connect some drives to the network? This box replaces not just that nas, but perhaps the top of switch box too.
This isnt supposed to be bespoke or proprietary. Its supposed to just the infra we already have. If your nas is really good it already spoke NVMeoF anyhow. Whats a little fancy is that you still need some PHY between switch and drive, which i think is throwing you off & confusing you a bit & making you think this is more bespoke than it is. The drive is an ethernet drive, could hardly be less bespoke.
This solution proposes dropping a lot of hardware & getting the same outcome. There's one box with 12x 100Gbe on the back (across two switches) and a bunch of nvme (over rdma ethernet, "NVMeoF") plugged directly into that switch.
Why bother having a whole cpu & expensive nic just to connect some drives to the network? This box replaces not just that nas, but perhaps the top of switch box too.
This isnt supposed to be bespoke or proprietary. Its supposed to just the infra we already have. If your nas is really good it already spoke NVMeoF anyhow. Whats a little fancy is that you still need some PHY between switch and drive, which i think is throwing you off & confusing you a bit & making you think this is more bespoke than it is. The drive is an ethernet drive, could hardly be less bespoke.