System Documentation
System Documentation: High-Density Compute Platform (Model HDCP-8000)
This document provides comprehensive technical specifications, performance characteristics, recommended deployment scenarios, competitive analysis, and maintenance guidelines for the High-Density Compute Platform, Model HDCP-8000. This configuration is engineered for workloads demanding extreme core counts, high-speed interconnectivity, and scalable memory capacity, making it suitable for enterprise virtualization, large-scale database operations, and advanced scientific computing.
1. Hardware Specifications
The HDCP-8000 utilizes a dual-socket motherboard architecture built around the latest generation of high-core-count server processors, optimized for power efficiency under sustained load. All components are selected for enterprise reliability (MTBF > 150,000 hours).
1.1 System Board and Chassis
The system is housed in a 2U rackmount chassis designed for optimal front-to-back airflow.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | 2U Rackmount (875mm depth) |
| Motherboard Chipset | Intel C741 Equivalent (Custom BIOS/BMC integration) |
| Processor Sockets | 2 (Dual Socket, LGA-4677 compatible) |
| BIOS/UEFI | AMI Aptio V, supports Secure Boot and IPMI 2.0 |
| Base Management Controller (BMC) | ASPEED AST2600, supporting Redfish API v1.2 |
| Expansion Slots | 4x PCIe 5.0 x16 (Full Height, Full Length) + 1x OCP 3.0 Slot (x16 electrical) |
| Power Supply Units (PSU) | 2x Redundant 2000W 80 PLUS Titanium (Hot-Swappable) |
| Cooling Solution | Passive CPU heatsinks with 8x 60mm high-static-pressure system fans (N+1 redundancy) |
1.2 Central Processing Units (CPUs)
The standard configuration utilizes two Intel Xeon Scalable Processors (5th Generation equivalent, code-named 'Sapphire Rapids Pro' derived architecture) optimized for dense core deployment.
| Parameter | Specification (Primary/Secondary CPU) |
|---|---|
| Processor Model | Xeon Platinum 8592+ Equivalent (Custom Configuration) |
| Core Count | 64 Cores / 128 Threads (Total 128 Cores / 256 Threads) |
| Base Clock Frequency | 2.0 GHz |
| Max Turbo Frequency (Single Core) | Up to 3.8 GHz |
| L3 Cache (Total) | 112.5 MB Per Socket (225 MB Total) |
| TDP (Thermal Design Power) | 350W Per Socket (700W Total Base TDP) |
| Memory Channels Supported | 8 Channels DDR5 per socket |
| UPI Links | 3 Links @ 18 GT/s (Inter-socket communication) |
Further details on CPU instruction sets and microarchitecture are available in the supplementary documentation.
1.3 Memory Subsystem (RAM)
The system supports 32 DIMM slots (16 per CPU socket) utilizing high-density DDR5 Registered ECC memory operating at 4800 MT/s (JEDEC standard compliant).
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Memory Type | DDR5 ECC RDIMM |
| Maximum Supported Capacity | 8 TB (Using 256 GB DIMMs) |
| Standard Configuration Capacity | 1 TB (32 x 32 GB DIMMs) |
| Operating Speed (Standard Load) | 4800 MT/s (Running 8 channels populated per CPU) |
| Memory Bandwidth (Theoretical Peak) | Approximately 1.23 TB/s (Aggregate) |
| Memory Mapping | NUMA Architecture (Two distinct NUMA nodes) |
The memory topology is critical for performance; refer to the NUMA Node Optimization Guide for mapping application threads correctly to local memory banks.
1.4 Storage Subsystem
The HDCP-8000 employs a hybrid storage architecture focusing on high-speed NVMe access for primary data and high-capacity SATA/SAS for bulk storage.
1.4.1 Boot and Primary Storage (NVMe)
The system supports up to 8 U.2/M.2 NVMe drives accessible via PCIe 5.0 lanes.
| Location | Interface | Max Drives | Configuration Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Bays | 8x Hot-Swap NVMe Bays (PCIe 5.0 x4 per drive) | 8 | 4 x 7.68 TB U.2 NVMe Gen5 (RAID 10 equivalent via software/controller) |
| M.2 Slot (Internal) | 2x PCIe 5.0 x4 slots | 2 | 2 x 1.92 TB M.2 Boot Drives (Mirrored) |
1.4.2 Secondary Storage (SATA/SAS)
For archival or less latency-sensitive data, the system supports traditional drive bays.
| Interface | Max Drives | Controller |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5" Bays | 12x Hot-Swap Bays (SATA/SAS 12Gb/s) | Broadcom MegaRAID SAS 9600 Series (Hardware RAID) |
| Total Drive Count (Max) | 20 Drives (8 NVMe + 12 SAS/SATA) |
A detailed guide on Storage Controller Firmware Updates is maintained separately.
1.5 Networking and Interconnects
Network performance is paramount for clustered environments. The configuration emphasizes high-throughput, low-latency connectivity.
| Port Type | Quantity | Speed / Standard | Bus Connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseboard LOM (LAN on Motherboard) | 2 | 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) | PCIe 5.0 x16 Interface Shared |
| OCP 3.0 Slot (Required Add-in Card) | 1 | 200 GbE InfiniBand EDR or Dual Port 100 GbE QSFP28 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |
| Management Port (Dedicated) | 1 | 1 GbE (IPMI/BMC) | Dedicated RGMII |
The utilization of PCIe 5.0 lanes ensures that network adapters are not bottlenecked by the I/O fabric. For specific configuration details on RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCEv2) setup, consult the network deployment manual.
2. Performance Characteristics
The HDCP-8000 is characterized by its high parallel processing capability and strong memory bandwidth, essential for memory-intensive workloads.
2.1 Synthetic Benchmarks
Performance metrics are standardized using industry-accepted benchmarks run under controlled conditions (ambient temperature 22°C, 90% sustained utilization).
2.1.1 Compute Benchmarks (SPECrate 2017 Floating Point)
These results reflect the system's ability to handle highly parallelized scientific simulations.
| Metric | HDCP-8000 (Dual 64C) | Previous Generation (Dual 48C) | Performance Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPECrate 2017 FP Base | 2,150 | 1,580 | +36.1% |
| SPECrate 2017 FP Peak | 2,310 | 1,705 | +35.5% |
The significant uplift is attributed to the increased core count and the 30% wider core pipeline architecture of the newer generation CPUs.
2.1.2 Memory Bandwidth and Latency
Memory performance is measured using STREAM benchmarks.
| Metric | Result (Aggregate) | Theoretical Max (DDR5-4800 16-channel) |
|---|---|---|
| STREAM Copy Bandwidth | 1,180 GB/s | 1,228.8 GB/s (Approx. 96% efficiency) |
| STREAM Triad Bandwidth | 1,175 GB/s | N/A |
| Average Read Latency (Measured via CLAT utility) | 68 ns | N/A |
Sustained bandwidth of nearly 1.2 TB/s confirms the effectiveness of the 8-channel per CPU configuration. Low latency (under 70 ns) is crucial for database transaction processing.
2.2 Real-World Workload Performance
Performance validation extends beyond synthetic tests to key enterprise workloads.
2.2.1 Virtualization Density (VMware ESXi 8.0)
Testing involved deploying uniformly sized virtual machines (4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM) running standard Linux server loads (web serving, light compilation).
- **Maximum Stable VM Density:** 185 VMs
- **CPU Ready Time (Average under peak load):** < 1.5%
- **Maximum VM Density (Aggressive Configuration, 2 vCPU/8GB):** 370 VMs
This density metric demonstrates the platform's superior core-to-socket ratio for consolidation tasks. Refer to the Virtualization Capacity Planning Guide for specific licensing implications.
2.2.2 Database Transaction Processing (TPC-C Simulation)
Using an in-memory database configuration (1TB dataset size).
- **TPC-C Throughput (tpmC):** 4,850,000 tpmC
- **95th Percentile Latency:** 4.2 ms
This performance is highly competitive, leveraging the large L3 cache and high memory bandwidth to minimize disk I/O wait times.
2.3 Power and Thermal Performance
Power efficiency is measured by performance per watt (PPW).
| Load State | Typical Power Draw (W) | Performance/Watt (GFLOPS/W) |
|---|---|---|
| Idle (OS Nominal) | 155 W | N/A |
| 50% Sustained Load (Mixed Workload) | 890 W | 1.45 GFLOPS/W |
| 100% Stress Test (AVX-512 Heavy) | 1,450 W | 1.12 GFLOPS/W |
Maximum system power draw under full stress, including all drives and networking cards, peaks near 1,750W. The 2000W Titanium PSUs provide sufficient headroom (approx. 14% margin).
3. Recommended Use Cases
The HDCP-8000 is specifically designed for environments where high core density and massive data throughput are non-negotiable requirements.
3.1 Enterprise Virtualization and Consolidation
With 128 physical cores and high memory capacity, this platform excels at consolidating hundreds of virtual machines (VMs) onto a single physical host, drastically reducing rack space and power overhead per workload unit. It is ideal for hosting large VMware vSphere or Microsoft Hyper-V clusters where licensing models favor high core counts. See Server Consolidation Strategies.
3.2 High-Performance Computing (HPC) Clusters
The native support for high-speed interconnects (via OCP 3.0) combined with the large core count makes it an excellent compute node for MPI-based simulations, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and molecular modeling. The ample L3 cache benefits algorithms that exhibit good data locality.
3.3 Large-Scale Database Management Systems (DBMS)
For OLTP and OLAP systems requiring massive memory footprints (e.g., SAP HANA, Oracle RAC), the 1TB baseline RAM and 1.2 TB/s memory bandwidth ensure that the working set remains resident in DRAM, minimizing reliance on potentially slower storage I/O. This is crucial for maintaining low transaction latency. Review In-Memory Database Deployment Best Practices.
3.4 AI/ML Training (CPU-Bound Stages)
While dedicated GPU accelerators are often primary for deep learning inference, the HDCP-8000 is highly effective for data preprocessing, feature engineering, and training smaller, CPU-optimized models. Its high I/O capacity supports rapid loading of massive datasets from the integrated NVMe array.
3.5 Cloud Infrastructure Providers
For IaaS providers offering high-vCPU/high-memory instances, this platform maximizes density while maintaining robust Quality of Service (QoS) due to the strong NUMA topology and low measured latency.
4. Comparison with Similar Configurations
To contextualize the HDCP-8000, it is compared against two relevant alternatives: a standard high-core count system (HDCS-4000, 2U, 96 Cores) and a specialized high-memory system (HMS-6000, 4U, 128 Cores, 16TB RAM capacity).
4.1 Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | HDCP-8000 (Target) | HDCS-4000 (Standard Density) | HMS-6000 (High Memory Density) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | 2U | 2U | 4U |
| Total CPU Cores | 128 Cores | 96 Cores | 128 Cores (Lower TDP CPU) |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 TB | 4 TB | 16 TB |
| Memory Channels | 16 (8 per CPU) | 12 (6 per CPU) | 16 (8 per CPU) |
| PCIe Generation | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Max NVMe Bays | 8 U.2 + 2 M.2 | 4 U.2 | 8 U.2 |
| Power Efficiency (Peak Load) | High | Moderate | Moderate-Low (Due to higher idle power) |
4.2 Performance Trade-Off Analysis
The primary trade-off involves I/O density versus absolute memory capacity.
- **HDCP-8000 vs. HDCS-4000:** The HDCP-8000 offers a 33% core increase and a mandatory shift to PCIe 5.0, resulting in significantly better performance scaling (approx. 30-40% better throughput across CPU-bound tasks) for a marginal increase in physical size (both are 2U). The HDCS-4000 is better suited for environments where PCIe 4.0 is sufficient or where budget constraints are severe. See PCIe Generation Impact Analysis.
- **HDCP-8000 vs. HMS-6000:** The HMS-6000 sacrifices density (4U vs. 2U) and peak core frequency for the ability to reach 16TB of RAM. If the workload requires more than 8TB of memory, the HMS-6000 is mandatory. If the workload is compute-bound and memory usage stays under 8TB, the HDCP-8000 provides superior performance density (more compute per rack unit) and often better power efficiency due to optimized cooling paths in the 2U chassis.
The HDCP-8000 strikes the optimal balance for modern, dense, high-throughput workloads that require fast interconnects and substantial, but not extreme, memory pools.
5. Maintenance Considerations
Proper maintenance is essential to ensure the longevity and sustained performance of the HDCP-8000, particularly given the high TDP components housed in a dense 2U form factor.
5.1 Power Requirements and Redundancy
The dual 2000W Titanium PSUs must be connected to separate A/B power feeds for full redundancy.
- **Input Voltage:** 200-240V AC (Nominal 208V recommended for peak efficiency).
- **Maximum Input Current (Per PSU at 1750W load):** Approx. 8.5 Amps @ 208V.
- **Power Cords:** Must be C19/C20 rated to handle sustained high amperage draw.
Failure of one PSU will trigger an immediate management alert via the BMC, and the system will continue operating normally on the remaining unit. See Redundant Power System Operation.
5.2 Thermal Management and Airflow
The 700W CPU TDP necessitates robust cooling. The system relies on high-static-pressure fans to push air across dense passive heatsinks.
- **Ambient Inlet Temperature (Recommended):** 18°C to 25°C (ASHRAE Class A1/A2).
- **Maximum Inlet Temperature (Absolute):** 35°C (System will throttle performance aggressively above 30°C).
- **Airflow Direction:** Front-to-Back (Mandatory for rack alignment).
Proper cable management within the chassis is critical; any obstruction to the front fan airflow path (e.g., poorly routed NVMe cables) can cause localized hot spots and lead to CPU throttling. Regular inspection of the System Fan Health Monitoring logs is recommended.
5.3 Component Replacement Procedures
All primary failure points are designed for hot-swappable replacement, minimizing downtime.
5.3.1 Storage Drives
NVMe and SAS/SATA drives can be replaced while the system is running. The BMC automatically detects the removal and installation, initiating a rebuild process if the drive was part of a RAID array managed by the MegaRAID controller. Ensure replacement drives meet the minimum performance specifications detailed in Section 1.4.
5.3.2 Power Supplies
PSUs are hot-swappable. When replacing a PSU, ensure the replacement unit has the same or higher wattage rating and the same firmware revision if possible to maintain synchronization within the power management system.
5.3.3 Memory Modules
Memory replacement requires shutting down the system and draining residual power (unplugging both PSUs and holding the power button for 10 seconds). Due to the complex Memory Channel Interleaving configuration, incorrect population or mixing module ranks can lead to instability or reduced bandwidth. Always use identical DIMMs for population within a single CPU's channels.
5.4 Firmware and Software Lifecycle Management
Maintaining up-to-date firmware is crucial for exploiting new hardware features and security patches.
- **BMC/IPMI Firmware:** Updates via the Redfish interface. Critical for security compliance and remote management features.
- **BIOS/UEFI:** Updates often include microcode patches addressing CPU vulnerabilities (e.g., Spectre/Meltdown variants) and optimizing memory training sequences.
- **Storage Controller Firmware:** Must be updated in tandem with OS kernel modules to ensure full support for new NVMe/SAS features. Check the Vendor Firmware Compatibility Matrix quarterly.
The use of standardized deployment tools (e.g., Ansible, Puppet) configured via the BMC's remote console interface is the preferred method for mass deployment and patching procedures.
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 |
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⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️