As part of our comprehensive approach to optimizing Azure infrastructure, we are working hard to remove infrastructure constraints that stand in the way of delivering customer value—whether from performance bottlenecks or resource limitations. We are innovating at every layer of the stack, from silicon to systems to software, to enhance the security, efficiency, performance, agility and scale of our infrastructure.
In the era of cloud and AI, secure and reliable storage and movement of vast amounts of data over the network have become significant challenges. A few years ago, we saw the need for a new data-centric processor architecture to address these challenges by complementing CPUs and GPUs used in large scale datacenters. Traditional CPU architectures are great for general-purpose tasks but fall short when it comes to handling highly multiplexed data streams corresponding to millions of network connections. GPUs on the other hand, are specialized for large-scale vector and matrix computations central to AI workloads, making them less suitable for data-centric workloads as well.
These observations led to the development of a new class of silicon referred to as Data Processing Units (DPUs). DPUs are optimized for tasks that require handling vast amounts of data at the network's line rate. They can operate as standalone processors for data-centric appliances, such as storage systems.
We are excited to announce Azure Boost DPU, Microsoft’s first in-house DPU, designed to run Azure’s data-centric workloads with high efficiency and low power, absorbing multiple components of a traditional server into a single piece of silicon. Azure Boost DPU integrates high speed Ethernet and PCIe interfaces along with network and storage engines, data accelerators, and security features, into a fully programmable system on chip.
Built specifically for the Azure infrastructure, Azure Boost DPU is a hardware-software co-design that runs a custom, lightweight data-flow operating system to enable agile platforms with higher performance, lower power consumption, and enhanced efficiency compared to traditional implementations. For instance, we expect DPUs to run cloud storage workloads at three times less power and four times the performance compared to existing CPUs. Furthermore, DPU-based systems add a custom application layer that leverages the DPU’s tightly integrated data compression, data protection and cryptography engines, setting a new standard for security and reliability.
Azure Boost DPU is the newest addition to our family of infrastructure enhancements through hardware innovation. As we continue to push the boundaries of what's possible, we remain committed to delivering innovations that make our infrastructure more capable, efficient, and scalable, to meet the evolving needs of our customers.
Learn more about our latest innovations. Check out what’s new in Azure Infrastructure.
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