Scalability Solutions
- Server Configuration Profile: Scalability Solutions Platform (SSP-9000 Series)
- Document Version:** 1.2
- Date:** 2024-10-27
- Author:** Senior Server Hardware Engineering Team
This document provides an exhaustive technical deep-dive into the **Scalability Solutions Platform (SSP-9000 Series)**, a next-generation server architecture specifically engineered for hyperscale environments demanding extreme horizontal and vertical scalability, high I/O throughput, and superior power efficiency under sustained, variable loads. The SSP-9000 series is designed to serve as the foundation for modern data center architectures focusing on virtualization density, container orchestration, and large-scale data processing.
---
- 1. Hardware Specifications
The SSP-9000 platform adheres to the EATX-Extended form factor (4U Rackmount chassis) and utilizes a dual-socket motherboard utilizing the latest generation of high-core-count processors integrated with advanced memory controllers and high-speed interconnects.
- 1.1. Chassis and System Architecture
The chassis design prioritizes airflow and dense component integration while maintaining serviceability standards required for enterprise deployments.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | 4U Rackmount (Proprietary Mounting) |
| Motherboard Chipset | Custom Intel C741/AMD SP5 Dual-Socket Platform |
| Cooling Solution | Redundant 4+1 Hot-Swap Blower Fans (200 CFM per fan @ 60% duty cycle) |
| Power Supply Units (PSUs) | 2x 3200W (2+1 Redundant Configuration, 80 PLUS Titanium Certified) |
| Management Controller | Dedicated BMC with IPMI 2.0, Redfish 1.1 compliance |
| Maximum Acoustic Output | < 55 dBA at 1 meter (under 70% load) |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 448 mm x 1050 mm x 176 mm |
- 1.2. Central Processing Units (CPUs)
The SSP-9000 supports dual-socket configurations, allowing for massive core counts and broad L3 cache access, crucial for memory-intensive workloads. The platform is optimized for processors featuring high UPI/Infinity Fabric bandwidth.
| Component | Minimum Configuration | Maximum Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Architecture | Intel Xeon Scalable 4th Gen (Sapphire Rapids) OR AMD EPYC 4th Gen (Genoa) | |
| Sockets Supported | 2 (Dual-Socket Configuration) | |
| Maximum Cores per Socket | 96 Cores (192 Threads) | |
| Total System Cores (Max) | 192 Physical Cores (384 Threads) | |
| Base Clock Speed (Per-Core) | 2.4 GHz (Typical configuration) | |
| L3 Cache (Total) | Up to 384 MB (Dependent on SKU selection) | |
| Thermal Design Power (TDP) per CPU | Up to 350W | |
| Interconnect Bandwidth (UPI/IF) | 11.2 GT/s (Intel) / 4.0 GT/s (AMD) |
The selection between Intel and AMD SKUs is dictated by the specific workload profiling (e.g., favoring Intel for AVX-512 density or AMD for raw memory channel count). See Processor Selection Guide for detailed SKU matching.
- 1.3. Memory Subsystem
Scalability in this platform is heavily reliant on maximizing memory capacity and bandwidth. The system supports high-density DDR5 modules across all channels.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Memory Type | DDR5 ECC Registered DIMMs (RDIMMs) |
| Memory Channels per CPU | 12 Channels (Total 24 Channels) |
| Maximum DIMM Slots | 32 (16 per CPU) |
| Maximum Supported Capacity | 8 TB (Using 256 GB Load-Reduced DIMMs - LRDIMMs) |
| Standard Configuration Capacity | 1 TB (Using 32x 32GB DDR5-4800 RDIMMs) |
| Memory Speed (Max Tested) | DDR5-5600 MT/s (JEDEC Standard) |
| Memory Bandwidth (Theoretical Max) | ~1.8 TB/s (Dual-Socket Aggregate) |
The memory topology utilizes a NUMA architecture directly mapped to the dual CPU sockets. Proper Operating System Memory Management is critical for performance optimization.
- 1.4. Storage Configuration
The SSP-9000 is designed for high-density, high-IOPS storage arrays, supporting a flexible mix of NVMe, SAS, and SATA devices, managed via a high-speed Host Bus Adapter (HBA) or RAID controller.
| Component | Quantity / Type | Connectivity Interface |
|---|---|---|
| Front Drive Bays (Hot-Swap) | 24x 2.5" U.2/U.3 Bays | |
| Primary Boot Drive (Internal) | 2x M.2 NVMe (RAID 1 Configuration) | |
| Internal Storage Controller | Broadcom MegaRAID SAS 9600 Series (or equivalent) | |
| PCIe Lanes Dedicated to Storage | Up to 128 Lanes (Direct CPU connection via CXL/PCIe 5.0) | |
| Maximum Internal Storage Capacity | 184 TB (Using 24x 7.68 TB U.3 SSDs) |
The primary scaling mechanism for storage involves utilizing the abundant PCIe 5.0 lanes to connect to external NVMe Over Fabrics (NVMe-oF) enclosures, supporting hundreds of additional drives without impacting host CPU performance.
- 1.5. Networking and I/O Subsystem
Network throughput is a primary bottleneck in highly scalable systems. The SSP-9000 features extensive PCIe 5.0 connectivity to support high-speed fabrics.
| Interface Slot | Quantity | Specification |
|---|---|---|
| PCIe Slots (Total) | 8x Full Height, Full Length Slots | |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 5.0 | |
| Base Network Adapter (Onboard) | 2x 100 Gigabit Ethernet (Broadcom BCM57508) | |
| Dedicated OCP Slot | 1x OCP 3.0 Slot (Supports up to 400GbE or InfiniBand HDR) | |
| Total Available PCIe Lanes (CPU Dependent) | Up to 288 Lanes (144 per CPU via CXL/PCIe) |
The high number of PCIe 5.0 lanes allows for simultaneous deployment of high-speed networking cards (e.g., 4x 200GbE) alongside multiple dedicated accelerators (GPUs/FPGAs) without resource contention.
---
- 2. Performance Characteristics
The performance profile of the SSP-9000 is defined by its ability to handle massive parallel workloads and maintain low latency under high utilization across memory and I/O subsystems.
- 2.1. CPU Performance Benchmarks
Performance testing was conducted using synthetic benchmarks representative of high-throughput computing (HTC) environments. The configuration tested utilized dual AMD EPYC 9654 (96C/192T) processors, 2TB DDR5-5200 RAM, and 12x 1.92TB U.2 NVMe drives.
| Benchmark Suite | Metric | SSP-9000 Result | Reference System (SSP-8000 Dual Xeon Gold) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPEC CPU 2017 (Rate) | Integer Rate (Higher is Better) | 18,500 | 11,200 |
| Linpack (HPL) | Peak FP64 GFLOPS | 12.5 TFLOPS | 7.9 TFLOPS |
| Memory Bandwidth (AIDA64) | Aggregate Read Speed | 1.75 TB/s | 0.95 TB/s |
| Storage IOPS (4K Random Read) | Q=128, Mixed Workload | 6.8 Million IOPS | 3.1 Million IOPS |
These results demonstrate a generational leap, primarily driven by the increased core count, higher memory bandwidth (DDR5 vs DDR4), and the substantial improvement in PCIe I/O capabilities (PCIe 5.0 vs 4.0).
- 2.2. Power Efficiency Metrics
A key tenet of the SSP-9000 design is maximizing performance per watt, essential for operational cost reduction in hyperscale data centers.
- Power Consumption Profile (Typical Load):**
- **Idle State (OS Loaded, No Load):** 280W – 310W
- **70% Sustained Load (Virtualization Host):** 1550W – 1750W
- **Peak Load (CPU/Memory Stress Test):** 2950W – 3100W (Below 3200W PSU limit)
- Performance per Watt (PPW) Analysis:**
Using the SPECrate 2017 Integer score as the performance baseline, the SSP-9000 achieves approximately **10.5 SPECint_rate2017 per Watt** at 70% load. This represents a **40% improvement** in energy efficiency compared to the previous generation architecture, largely attributed to the advancements in process node technology for the CPUs and the adoption of high-efficiency Titanium PSUs. Further details on thermal management can be found in Data Center Thermal Design Guidelines.
- 2.3. Latency Characteristics
For workloads sensitive to jitter and latency (e.g., in-memory databases or high-frequency trading environments), the reduced hop count and increased interconnect speeds are critical.
- **Inter-CPU Latency (NUMA Hop):** Measured at an average of 110 nanoseconds (ns) across the dual sockets, a slight improvement over previous generations due to optimized die-to-die signaling paths.
- **Storage Latency (Local NVMe):** Average read latency of 18 microseconds ($\mu s$) under a sustained 80% Q depth load on the local NVMe array. This stability is maintained due to the dedicated PCIe 5.0 lanes assigned to the storage controller, preventing resource starvation from the network fabric.
---
- 3. Recommended Use Cases
The SSP-9000 configuration is not intended for general-purpose workloads but is specifically tailored for scenarios where density, massive parallelism, and high I/O bandwidth are paramount.
- 3.1. Hyperscale Virtualization and Container Density
The dense core count (up to 192 cores) coupled with massive memory capacity (up to 8 TB) makes this platform ideal for hosting extremely high numbers of virtual machines (VMs) or Kubernetes pods per physical server.
- **Target Density:** > 150 standard enterprise VMs (e.g., 8 vCPU/32GB RAM each) or > 1200 small microservices containers.
- **Benefit:** Reduced physical footprint in the data center, leading to lower overhead costs for power distribution and cooling infrastructure, aligning with Cloud Provider Infrastructure Best Practices.
- 3.2. In-Memory Data Processing and Analytics
Workloads such as large-scale Apache Spark clusters, SAP HANA deployments, or real-time stream processing engines thrive on the high memory bandwidth and large total capacity.
- **Requirement:** Datasets exceeding 2 TB that require processing within seconds.
- **Optimization:** The 24-channel memory architecture ensures that data movement between cores and memory banks is highly parallelized, minimizing stalls during complex JOIN operations or large aggregations. This is a significant advantage over 8-channel systems. Refer to NUMA Optimization Techniques for OS tuning guides.
- 3.3. High-Performance Computing (HPC) and AI Training Inference
While dedicated GPU servers are often used for deep learning training, the SSP-9000 excels in the supporting roles: data pre-processing, model inference serving, and traditional scientific simulation where CPU-bound floating-point operations are dominant.
- **CPU Preference:** The high IPC (Instructions Per Cycle) and vector processing capabilities (e.g., AVX-512 on specific SKUs) provide substantial acceleration for CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and Monte Carlo simulations.
- **I/O Requirement:** The platform supports up to two full-height, double-width accelerators (e.g., NVIDIA H100) while still retaining sufficient PCIe lanes for 400GbE networking, ensuring the accelerators remain saturated with data.
- 3.4. Software-Defined Storage (SDS) Controllers
When configured with a large pool of local NVMe drives (24 bays) and high-speed networking (400GbE/InfiniBand), the SSP-9000 serves as an exceptional controller node for SDS solutions like Ceph or vSAN. The high I/O capability ensures that the storage controller itself does not become the performance bottleneck for the distributed cluster.
---
- 4. Comparison with Similar Configurations
To contextualize the SSP-9000's position in the market, we compare it against two common alternatives: the previous generation high-density server (SSP-8000) and a high-density, single-socket optimized server (SSP-9000-S1).
- 4.1. SSP-9000 vs. Previous Generation (SSP-8000)
The SSP-8000 utilized dual-socket Intel Xeon Platinum 8380 (Ice Lake) processors, DDR4 memory, and PCIe 4.0.
| Feature | SSP-9000 (Current) | SSP-8000 (Previous Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Max Cores (Total) | 192 (AMD/Intel Gen 4) | 112 (Intel Gen 3) |
| Memory Type/Speed | DDR5-5600 (24 Channels) | DDR4-3200 (16 Channels) |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 5.0 (Up to 144 Lanes/CPU) | PCIe 4.0 (Up to 80 Lanes/CPU) |
| Theoretical Memory Bandwidth | $\sim$1.8 TB/s | $\sim$0.8 TB/s |
| Power Efficiency (PPW) | High (10.5 SPEC/W) | Moderate (7.5 SPEC/W) |
| Cost Index (Relative) | 1.4X | 1.0X |
The SSP-9000 requires a 40% higher initial capital expenditure but delivers a performance uplift often exceeding 65% in memory-bound scenarios, providing a superior Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over a three-year lifecycle, assuming comparable power costs.
- 4.2. SSP-9000 (Dual Socket) vs. SSP-9000-S1 (Single Socket)
The SSP-9000-S1 configuration utilizes a single, high-core-count AMD EPYC 9754 processor in a 2U chassis, optimizing for power efficiency and physical density where dual-socket communication latency is detrimental.
| Feature | SSP-9000 (Dual Socket) | SSP-9000-S1 (Single Socket) |
|---|---|---|
| Max Cores (Total) | 192 | 128 |
| Max Memory Capacity | 8 TB | 6 TB |
| NUMA Hops | 1 (Inter-socket communication) | 0 (Single NUMA Domain) |
| Max PCIe Slots (FHFL) | 8 | 5 |
| Ideal Workload | Memory-intensive, High-Parallelism HPC | Latency-sensitive, Single-Application Density |
| Chassis Size | 4U | 2U |
The choice hinges on the application's ability to scale across two NUMA domains. Workloads that require frequent, low-latency access to data residing in the memory banks of the *other* CPU will perform significantly better on the SSP-9000-S1 due to the elimination of the UPI/Infinity Fabric inter-socket link overhead. For typical massive virtualization or distributed database workloads, the aggregate core and memory capacity of the SSP-9000 is superior. See NUMA Topology Mapping for further analysis.
- 4.3. Impact of CXL (Compute Express Link)
The SSP-9000 architecture natively supports CXL 1.1, primarily leveraged for memory expansion and pooling (CXL Type 3 devices). While not universally deployed in the base configuration, the infrastructure is present.
- **CXL Potential:** Allows system administrators to add tiers of non-volatile memory (e.g., persistent memory modules) or shared DRAM pools accessible by both CPUs, effectively bypassing some of the limitations imposed by the physical DIMM slots. This capability fundamentally shifts the paradigm discussed in Memory Hierarchy Management.
---
- 5. Maintenance Considerations
Deploying the SSP-9000 series requires adherence to strict operational parameters concerning power delivery, thermal management, and component standardization to ensure peak reliability and uptime, crucial for mission-critical scalability deployments.
- 5.1. Power Infrastructure Requirements
The 3200W Titanium-rated PSUs necessitate robust power delivery infrastructure.
- **Input Voltage:** Requires dual 200-240V AC feeds (L6-30P or equivalent industrial connectors) for full redundancy configuration. Standard 120V circuits cannot support the peak draw of a fully populated system.
- **Power Density:** A full rack populated solely with SSP-9000 units (assuming 42 units per 42U rack, 2U spacing) can draw over **134 kW** of IT load. Data center floor planning must account for this concentration, particularly concerning Rack Power Distribution Unit (PDU) Capacity.
- **Redundancy:** The 2+1 PSU configuration provides N+1 redundancy against PSU failure. However, power loss to one of the two separate AC feeds will result in the server running on a single PSU until the failed feed is restored.
- 5.2. Thermal Management and Airflow
The combination of high-TDP CPUs (up to 350W each) and numerous high-speed NVMe drives generates significant localized heat.
- **Minimum Required CFM:** The system requires a sustained minimum of 1,100 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM) of cold aisle air delivery into the front bezel to maintain safe operating temperatures (Intake temperature $\le 27^{\circ}C$).
- **Hot Aisle Exhaust Management:** Due to the high exhaust volume, containment solutions (e.g., Hot Aisle Containment Systems) are highly recommended to prevent recirculation back into the cold aisle, which can rapidly lead to thermal throttling.
- **Component Lifespan:** Operating the system consistently above $30^{\circ}C$ intake temperature can reduce the Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) of electrolytic capacitors and solid-state drives by up to 15%.
- 5.3. Field Replaceable Units (FRUs) and Serviceability
Serviceability has been improved through standardized, tool-less access to major components.
- **Hot-Swap Components:** PSUs, Cooling Fans, and all 24 Front Drive Bays are hot-swappable.
- **CPU/RAM Replacement:** Requires opening the top cover and removing the CPU heatsinks, which necessitates temporarily shutting down the server to ensure safe handling of the socket mechanisms and to prevent static discharge during the installation of new processors or memory modules.
- **Firmware Updates:** The BMC supports out-of-band updates via Redfish API. Critical firmware components (BIOS, BMC, RAID Controller) should be updated synchronously across the cluster to maintain performance parity, following a strict Firmware Patch Management Protocol.
- 5.4. Software and Driver Compatibility
The platform's reliance on PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 necessitates up-to-date platform drivers.
- **BIOS/Firmware:** Minimum BIOS version X.Y.Z is required to fully expose CXL capabilities and ensure optimal memory training for high-density DIMMs.
- **Operating System Support:** Linux distributions (RHEL 9+, SLES 15 SP5+) and modern Windows Server versions (2022+) offer native support for the underlying hardware features. Older OS versions will exhibit degraded performance due to inefficient handling of the 192-core NUMA topology.
---
Intel-Based Server Configurations
| Configuration | Specifications | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Core i7-6700K/7700 Server | 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 512 GB | CPU Benchmark: 8046 |
| Core i7-8700 Server | 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2x1 TB | CPU Benchmark: 13124 |
| Core i9-9900K Server | 128 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 1 TB | CPU Benchmark: 49969 |
| Core i9-13900 Server (64GB) | 64 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i9-13900 Server (128GB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Server (64GB) | 64 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Server (128GB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Workstation | 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 NVMe SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4000 |
AMD-Based Server Configurations
| Configuration | Specifications | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 3600 Server | 64 GB RAM, 2x480 GB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 17849 |
| Ryzen 7 7700 Server | 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2x1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 35224 |
| Ryzen 9 5950X Server | 128 GB RAM, 2x4 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 46045 |
| Ryzen 9 7950X Server | 128 GB DDR5 ECC, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 63561 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/1TB) | 128 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/2TB) | 128 GB RAM, 2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/4TB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/1TB) | 256 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/4TB) | 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 9454P Server | 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe |
Order Your Dedicated Server
Configure and order your ideal server configuration
Need Assistance?
- Telegram: @powervps Servers at a discounted price
⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️