HPE debuts hybrid storage configs: Rising SSD costs hit supercomputing - The Register
HPE has introduced new hybrid configurations for its Cray Supercomputing Storage Systems E2000, offering up to 41% more data throughput per rack to address rising SSD costs in high-performance computing.
The hardware giant already offers its Cray Supercomputing Storage Systems E2000 in various configurations, but the latest hybrid option provides significantly improved performance. The E2000 line embeds the Lustre open-source parallel file system and is designed to work with NVMe Gen 5 SSD building blocks.
For the refreshed hybrid configurations, HPE is combining SSDs with new 32 TB SAS-4 (24 Gb/s SAS) HDDs and new enclosures supporting 74 or 100 drives. This setup delivers up to 116 GB/s of read throughput and 92 GB/s of write throughput per rack.
Cost concerns
One of the driving forces behind these new hybrid configurations is the soaring cost of storage components. As demand for AI infrastructure grows, prices for silicon-based NAND flash SSDs are increasing faster than traditional hard drives. HPE claims the new configurations allow research institutions and national laboratories to reduce storage spending while maintaining necessary performance.
When making long-term investments in environments where advanced workloads are rapidly evolving, our customers want scalable, dense, and flexible systems to help them address dynamic shifts in requirements.
Cooling solution
Alongside the storage updates, HPE has introduced a Rack Management Controller that provides what the company calls "intelligent liquid cooling" through real-time monitoring, leak detection, and automated control features. It integrates with HPE Supercomputing Management Software to gather telemetry and provide control.
Several platform-specific versions will be offered, each tailored to different rack-scale systems. Support will launch with HPE's Cray Supercomputing GX5000 infrastructure, with versions for Nvidia's NVL72 and AMD's Helion and Helios kit to follow.
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