Connectivity for AI
High performance AI-optimised server and storage systems need an equally high-performance network infrastructure to support them and ensure there are no bottlenecks that effect data throughput. Whether located within a datacentre or at the edge of the network, connectivity is key to keep systems functioning optimally. The Scan AI networking solutions portfolio includes Ethernet, InfiniBand, wireless and 4G / 5G options to deliver best in class performance - whether you’re at the development, training or inferencing stage of your project.
NICs & Smart NICs
Although only a small component in an overall dev box or server, the Network Interface Card or NIC, can contribute to a huge uplift in performance. Basic server NICs use Ethernet as a protocol and offer throughput speeds of between 1Gbps (Gigabits per second) and 40Gbps, with at least 10Gbps required for applications such as machine learning, deep learning, AI and HPC. For training larger models these speeds are insufficient and a Smart NIC is required.
A Smart NIC, sometimes referred to as an HCA (Host Channel Adapter) when discussing InfiniBand technology, performs all the tasks of a regular NIC but in order to cope with higher throughput speeds a degree of off-loading is required to reduce pressure on other components in the server.
This means the network card itself performs some of the processing tasks, removing the latency usually introduced by the CPU, system memory and operating system (OS). This off-loading is referred to as Remote Memory Direct Access (RDMA) for InfiniBand cards and RDMA over converged Ethernet (RoCE) for Ethernet cards. To cope with software defined applications, it is likely a DPU will offer better performance.
Where there are software defined storage (SDS) or networking (SDN) applications being run on the server, smart NICs have been superseded by DPUs, in order to deliver further offloading of management tasks.
The NIC & Smart NIC Range
Scan provides a wide range of Smart NICs and NICs from leading manufacturers Intel and NVIDIA Networking (formerly Mellanox).
| Name | Protocol | Interfaces | Maximum Speed | Ports | Host Bus | RDMA / RoCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA ConnectX-7 | Ethernet / InfiniBand | QSFP56 | 400Gbps | 1 / 2 | PCIe 5.0 |
Yes
|
| NVIDIA ConnectX-6 | Ethernet / InfiniBand | QSFP56 | 200Gbps | 1 / 2 | PCIe 4.0 |
Yes
|
| Intel 800 Series | Ethernet | SFP28 / QSFP28 | 100Gbps | 2 / 4 | PCIe 4.0 |
Yes
|
| NVIDIA ConnectX-5 | Ethernet / InfiniBand | SFP28 / QSFP28 | 100Gbps | 1 / 2 | PCIe 3.0 |
Yes
|
| NVIDIA ConnectX-4 | Ethernet / InfiniBand | SFP28 / QSFP28 | 50Gpbs | 1 / 2 | PCIe 3.0 |
Yes
|
| Intel 700 Series | Ethernet | RJ45 / SFP+ / QSFP+ / QSFP28 | 40Gbps | 1 / 2 / 4 | PCIe 3.0 |
No
|
| Intel 500 Series | Ethernet | RJ45 / LC Fibre / SFP28 | 10Gbps | 1 / 2 | PCIe 3.0 |
No
|
| Intel GbE Series | Ethernet | RJ45 / LC Fibre | 1Gbps | 1 / 2 / 4 | PCIe 3.0 |
No
|
To learn more about Ethernet and InfiniBand Smart NIC and NIC solutions click here to read our Network Card Buyers Guide
NICs and Smart NICs
Configure a 3XS Systems server with your choice of Ethernet and InfiniBand network cards.
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FIND OUT MOREData Processing Units
Data Processing Units (DPUs), sometimes also called Infrastructure Processing Units (IPUs), take the Smart NIC approach to the next level. Over and above the advanced off-loading that takes place on a Smart NIC a DPU is designed to be a datacentre infrastructure-on-a-chip - optimised for cloud workloads and high performance computing. It delivers a broad set of accelerated software-defined networking, storage, security, and management services with the ability to offload, accelerate and isolate datacentre infrastructure.
By combining high-speed networking connectivity - usually multiple 100 - 200Gbps interfaces - with its own OS (usually Linux based), an array of processor cores for crypto, management and storage offloads, a DPU offers purpose-built, hardware-acceleration engines with considerable logic programmability. Sitting at the edge of the server, a DPU card empowers agile, secure and high-performance cloud and AI workloads, all while reducing the total cost of ownership and increasing datacentre efficiency.
Networking
Hardware Accelerated Applications:
• vSwitch/vRouter, NAT, load balancer, NFV
• RoCE, Zero Touch RoCE
• GPUDirect
• SDN acceleration powered by NVIDIA
• ASAP - Accelerated Switching and Packet Processing
• Overlay network offloads including VXLAN
Storage
Hardware Accelerated Applications:
• NVMe over fabrics (NVMe-oF), elastic storage virtualisation
• Hyper converged infrastructure (HCI), encryption, data integrity, compression, data deduplication
• NVIDIA GPUDirect
• Elastic block storage enabled by BlueField
• SNAP storage virtualisation
• Compression and decompression acceleration
• NVMe-oF acceleration
• VirtIO-blk acceleration
Security
Hardware Accelerated Applications:
• Next-Generation firewall, IDS / IPS, root of trust, micro- segmentation, DDOS prevention
• Hardened isolation layer
• Hardware root of trust
• IPsec/TLS and AES-XTS encryption acceleration
• Connection tracking for stateful firewall and IDS / IPS
• Regular expression (RegEx) matching processor
Data Processing Unit Specifications
Scan provides a wide range of DPUs from leading manufacturer NVIDIA Networking.
| Name | Protocol | Interfaces | Maximum Speed | Memory | Host Bus | RDMA / RoCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA Bluefield-3 | Ethernet | QSFP56 | 2x 200GbE / 1x 400GbE | 16GB | PCIe 5.0 |
Yes
|
| NVIDIA Bluefield-3 | Ethernet | QSFP56 | 2x 200GbE / 1x 400GbE | 16GB | PCIe 5.0 |
Yes
|
| NVIDIA Bluefield-3 | InfiniBand | QSFP56 | 2x 200Gb HDR / 1x 400Gb NDR | 16GB | PCIe 5.0 |
Yes
|
| NVIDIA Bluefield-3 | InfiniBand | QSFP56 | 2x 200Gb HDR / 1x 400Gb NDR | 16GB | PCIe 5.0 |
Yes
|
| NVIDIA Bluefield-2 | Ethernet | QSFP56 | 2x 100GbE / 1x 200GbE | 16GB | PCIe 4.0 |
Yes
|
| NVIDIA Bluefield-2 | Ethernet | QSFP56 | 2x 100GbE / 1x 200GbE | 16GB | PCIe 4.0 |
Yes
|
| NVIDIA Bluefield-2 | InfiniBand | QSFP56 | 2x 100Gb EDR / 1x 200Gb HDR | 16GB | PCIe 4.0 |
Yes
|
| NVIDIA Bluefield-2 | InfiniBand | QSFP56 | 2x 100Gb EDR / 1x 200Gb HDR | 16GB | PCIe 4.0 |
Yes
|
NVIDIA DPUs
Discover how NVIDIA is revolutionizing high performance networking with its range of BlueField DPUs.
FIND OUT MOREProfessional Services
As your network infrastructure grows and evolves, our team of professional services consultants are on hand to help with advice, network design or health checks, installation and configuration.
FIND OUT MORENew Network Infrastructure? Check your UPS!
It is vital to ensure that any new infrastructure equipment remains protected from power failures or surges by a UPS.
FIND OUT MORENetwork Switches
Network switches create the interconnects from the Smart NICs or DPUs within AI-optimised dev boxes and servers to each other and also allow server access for all the researchers on the network from their respective systems. The size of the deep learning and AI workloads will determine which protocol, speeds and architectures will be required.
Typically, the highest speeds of 100 - 400Gbps (Ethernet or InfiniBand) enable deep learning & AI, HPC, datacentre, cloud computing and storage applications to operate at maximum functionality at any scale.
The NVIDIA Spectrum Ethernet Switches
The NVIDIA Spectrum Ethernet Switch family includes leaf and spine switches in flexible form factors with 16 to 128 physical ports. Spectrum switches offer groundbreaking performance—up to 800GbE and industry-leading scale for cloud and enterprise applications with a choice of network OS including NVIDIA Cumulus Linux, SONiC, Onyx and DENT SwitchDev.
The NVIDIA Quantum InfiniBand Switches
Based on the NVIDIA Quantum-2 switch fabric, the latest InfiniBand switches deliver massive throughput up to NDR 400Gb/s - along with In-Network Computing, smart acceleration engines, flexibility, and a robust architecture to achieve unmatched performance in high-performance computing (HPC), AI, and hyperscale cloud infrastructures—with less cost and complexity.
High Performance Network Switch Specifications
Scan provides a wide range of network switches from leading manufacturer NVIDIA Networking (formerly Mellanox).
| Name | Protocol | Interfaces | Maximum Speed | Maximum Ports | Data Throughput |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA Spectrum SN5000 | Ethernet | QSFP128 | 800Gbps | 256 | 51.2Tb/s |
| NVIDIA Spectrum SN4000 | Ethernet | QSFP56 / QSFP-DD | 400Gbps | 128 | 12.8Tb/s |
| NVIDIA Spectrum SN3000 | Ethernet | SFP28 / QSFP28 / QSFP56 | 200Gbps | 128 | 12.8Tb/s |
| NVIDIA Spectrum SN2000 | Ethernet | SFP28 / QSFP28D | 100Gbps | 64 | 6.4Tb/s |
| NVIDIA Quantum QM9700 | InfiniBand | QSFP56 | 400Gbps | 64 | 51.2Tb/s |
| NVIDIA Quantum QM8700 | InfiniBand | QSFP56 | 200Gbps | 40 | 16Tb/s |
To learn more about Ethernet, InfiniBand and advanced switch technologies click here to read our Network Switch Buyers Guide or use the NVIDIA NETWORKING CONFIGURATION TOOLS to build your own network.
Ethernet & Infiniband Switches
Configure your network with your choice of Ethernet and Infiniband network switches from NVIDIA Networking.
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As your network infrastructure grows and evolves, our team of professional services consultants are on hand to help with advice, network design or health checks, installation and configuration.
FIND OUT MORENew Network Infrastructure? Check your UPS!
It is vital to ensure that any new infrastructure equipment remains protected from power failures or surges by a UPS.
FIND OUT MOREGateways & Routers
Performance-hungry datacentre applications leverage NVIDIA Quantum InfiniBand's high throughput, extremely low-latency and In-Network Computing acceleration engines to deliver world-leading performance and scalability. The NVIDIA Skyway router and gateway appliances enable seamless conversion from InfiniBand to Ethernet-based networks.
NVIDIA Skyway enables high performance, low-latency connectivity from NVIDIA Quantum 200Gbps InfiniBand to 100/200Gbps Ethernet. The scalable gateway appliance enables IT administrators to adapt to increasing user demand over time. Moreover, by leveraging the Skyway appliance, InfiniBand networks can maintain a low-latency interconnect to ensure maximum application performance. Skyway is an appliance-based InfiniBand-to-Ethernet gateway, designed for quick and easy set up and management. Installed at the boundary between InfiniBand and Ethernet networks, the appliance supports standard IP routing protocols and is deployable on any InfiniBand topology. Skyway contains eight ConnectX Virtual Protocol Interconnect (VPI) dual-port Smart NICs that enable the hardware-based forwarding of IP packets over InfiniBand (IPoIB) to Ethernet and vice versa. Skyway also includes the NVIDIA Gateway operating system (MLNX-GW) which manages both the appliance hardware as well as the high availability and load balancing between gateway appliances and between ports.
Gateway and Router Specifications
Scan provides a wide range of gateways and routers from leading manufacturer NVIDIA Networking (formerly Mellanox).
| Name | Protocol | Maximum Speed | Maximum | Data Throughput |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA Skyway Gateway | Ethernet / InfiniBand | 100Gbps /200Gbps | 8 / 8 | 1.6Tb/s |
| NVIDIA SB7880 Router | InfiniBand | 100Gbps | 36 | 7.2TB/s |
Gateways & Routers
Connect your networks with your choice of Ethernet and Infiniband network routers from NVIDIA Networking.
FIND OUT MOREProfessional Services
As your network infrastructure grows and evolves, our team of professional services consultants are on hand to help with advice, network design or health checks, installation and configuration.
FIND OUT MORENew Network Infrastructure? Check your UPS!
It is vital to ensure that any new infrastructure equipment remains protected from power failures or surges by a UPS.
FIND OUT MOREInterconnects
The NVIDIA LinkX product family of cables and transceivers provides a complete line of 10, 25, 40, 50, 100, 200 and 400GbE in Ethernet and EDR, HDR, and NDR in InfiniBand products for Cloud, HPC, Web 2.0, Enterprise, telco, storage, AI and datacentre applications. LinkX cables and transceivers are often used to link top-of-rack switches downwards to SmartNICs and DPUs in servers and storage appliances and / or upwards in switch-to-switch applications throughout the network infrastructure.
Interconnect products are available in both Ethernet and InfiniBand protocols in 1, 4 and 8-channels, SFP and QSFP form factors. LinkX has solutions for any datacentre speed and reach from 0.5m to 40km providing lower latency, lower power, better reliability and competitive ROI.
DAC & Splitter Cable Products
LinkX Direct Attach Copper cables are the lowest cost, 25G - 400GbE / EDR and HDR high-speed links for inside racks up to 5-meters for 25G-NRZ and 3-meters for 50G PAM4-based cables. DACs offer zero latency delays and power consumption ideal for switch-to-CPU, GPU, and storage subsystems. LinkX designs and manufactures its cables and are extensively tested.
Active Optical Cables (AOCs)
LinkX AOCs are the lowest cost optical interconnect. Fibres are bonded inside connectors are similar to DACs but work at up to 100 meters. Available at 25Gb - 400Gb data rates, NVIDIA Networking LinkX has the longest history in the marketplace building AOCs and are widely used in HPCs, hyperscale and enterprise networking and in DGX AI appliances.
Optical Transceivers
LinkX transceivers are designed to offer multi- and single-mode transceivers from 1Gb - 400Gb in QSFP28 and QSFP56 in 2km, 10km and 40km reaches in both NRZ and 50G-PAM4 modulation. The same transceivers are used in LinkX AOCs and splitters.
Interconnects
Connect your network switches, servers and storage with class-leading NVIDIA LinkX products.
FIND OUT MOREProfessional Services
As your network infrastructure grows and evolves, our team of professional services consultants are on hand to help with advice, network design or health checks, installation and configuration.
FIND OUT MORENew Network Infrastructure? Check your UPS!
It is vital to ensure that any new infrastructure equipment remains protected from power failures or surges by a UPS.
FIND OUT MOREWireless Networking
Although wired networking is the common approach for deep learning and AI workflows due to their high demands and time-critical nature, wireless network connectivity may also be required in other areas of your organisation. When wireless connectivity is used to support elements of your business, it must also be reliable, consistent and fast. To guarantee this performance businesses are turning increasingly to managed solutions whereby the various access points that cover any given area are controlled by either a master wireless access point (WAP) or an external controller, thus enabling greater control. Benefits of a solution like this include improved seamless hand-off as users roam between access points, better load balancing of user access across the wireless network and enhanced security - increasing the ability to monitor and detect rogue users - either with non-compliant devices or unauthorised access.
Wireless Access Point Specifications
Scan provides a wide range of wireless products from leading manufacturers including Ubiquiti.
| Unifi WAP Name | Wireless Protocol | Ports | Maximum Antennas |
|---|---|---|---|
| nanoHD | 802.11ac Wave2 | 1x GbE (PoE+) | 2.4GHz / 5GHz MIMO |
| In-wall HD | 802.11ac Wave2 | 5x 1GbE (PoE+) | 2.4GHz / 5GHz MIMO |
| FlexHD | 802.11ac Wave2 | 1x GbE (PoE+) | 2.4GHz / 5GHz MIMO |
| BaseStation XG | 802.11ac Wave2 | 1x GbE (PoE+) | 5GHz MIMO |
To learn more about wireless technologies click here to read our Wireless Buyers Guide
Airtime & Connectivity Services
Once you get to the inferencing stage in your AI journey, high speed and low latency connectivity is not only required within the datacentre and corporate network, but also outside in the real world, where edge AI devices gather data from cameras, sensors, vehicle and other connected end points. To address this wider connectivity requirement, Scan has partnered with Scancom and EE to provide a wide range of flexible SIM card options covering both 4G and the latest 5G bandwidths; and with BTnet to deliver leased line services for the datacentre.
Find out moreWireless Solutions
Configure your wireless network with your choice of access points and controllers from Ubiquiti.
FIND OUT MOREProfessional Services
As your network infrastructure grows and evolves, our team of professional services consultants are on hand to help with advice, network design or health checks, installation and configuration.
FIND OUT MORENew Network Infrastructure? Check your UPS!
It is vital to ensure that any new infrastructure equipment remains protected from power failures or surges by a UPS.
FIND OUT MORE