As AI workloads expand both in complexity and scale, storage systems must evolve to maintain the pace with burgeoning computational demands. Western Digital recently showcased the capabilities of its MLPerf® Storage V2 submissions to highlight the efficiency of its OpenFlex™ Data24 4000 Series NVMe-oF™ Storage Platform, reinforcing its importance in modern AI infrastructure.
The OpenFlex Data24 NVMe-oF Storage Platform increases the performance of NVMe® flash over Ethernet fabric, allowing low-latency shared storage solutions suitable for scalable, disaggregated AI infrastructure. With a design aimed at reducing costs and adapting to GPU demand, the platform offers scalable storage and computing options independently.
Western Digital collaborated with PEAK:AIO to test the storage system in environments simulating real GPU infrastructure demands. This testing scenario used KIOXIA CM7-V Series NVMe SSDs, known for superior performance in demanding AI environments, assuring high-speed, disaggregated data delivery to multiple GPU client nodes.
Renowned as a benchmark for AI performance, MLPerf Storage V2 results prove the platform's efficiency and deployment practicality. Using GPU client nodes simulating AI server behavior, tests measured storage I/O effectiveness. Two specific workloads tested Western Digital’s platform:
- 3D U-Net Workload: This model is important for medical imaging. Western Digital's platform achieved 106.5 GB/s read throughput, saturating 36 H100 GPU simulations, highlighting its capability for high-parallelism tasks.
- ResNet50 Workload: A crucial model for image classification, the platform delivered optimal performance across 186 simulated H100 GPUs, efficiently managing high-frequency data access.
Comments from industry leaders, like Kurt Chan of Western Digital and Roger Cummings of PEAK:AIO, recognise the system's invaluable role in elevating AI infrastructure, offering decreased complexity while maximising utilisation and reducing total running costs.
The OpenFlex Data24 NVMe-oF Storage Platform provides an ideal solution for organisations at all stages of their AI journey. With Western Digital’s RapidFlex™ network adapters, the platform simplifies scaling up to twelve hosts without requiring switches, providing a predictable, high-performance growth pathway without excessive upfront costs.
By combining real-world technological performance with economic deployment scenarios, Western Digital's innovations help organisations confidently scale their AI capacities.
