VxRail 8.0.240: The next leap for VxRail with Intel 5th Generation Xeon Scalable processors
Tue, 16 Jul 2024 16:43:40 -0000
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Another month, another VxRail release!
We’re after hitting the height of summer and with temperatures soaring, Dell has launched their latest VxRail hardware release with VxRail 8.0.240, expanding out the existing VxRail 16th Generation portfolio with the latest generation of Intel Xeon scalable processors.
As we all know, the technology landscape is constantly changing, and to stay ahead of the curve, companies need to adopt the very latest advancements in processing power and system efficiency. With this release, VxRail 8.0.240 brings the support of Intel’s latest gem-themed processors, Intel’s 5th Generation Xeon Scalable processors, codenamed Emerald Rapids, to our existing VE-660 and VP-760 VxRail platforms.This support ensures customers are getting the very latest and greatest hardware for their VxRail clusters, enabling them to cater forthe ever-evolving use cases we are seeing in tech today.
But before we jump in to discuss these platforms and the technology refresh opportunities they bring; I’d like to give you some insight into VxRail’ s 16th Generation portfolio and how it is building out. First, we saw the VE-660 and VP-760 launch last August with Intel’s 4th Generation processors, codenamed Sapphire Rapids – with support for all-flash and hybrid storage configurations. Then, in December, we made the all-NVMe versions of the VE-660 and VP-760 available for purchase. Fast forward 5 months, and we saw the VE-6615 and VP-7625 platforms, with the latest AMD EPYC Gen 4 processors, being released with VxRail 7.0.510.
And now, we are bringing the newest gems to the VxRail party, with Intel’s 5th Gen Xeon scalable processors on our VE-660 and VP-760 platforms.
Figure 1. VxRail on latest generation Dell servers
From a software perspective, these platforms will provide support for vSphere 8.0 Update 2b which includes all the features and functionalities of the VxRail software release 8.0.210. If you are interested in reading more on this, my colleague Daniel Chiu has shared a great overview that you can explore in this blog: Learn About the Latest Major VxRail Software Release: VxRail 8.0.210.
Okay so, what benefits do Intel’s 5th Generation Xeon Scalable processors bring to the VxRail portfolio?
Plenty!
With processors being the brains behind our VxRail nodes, these processors have very much been designed to handle the more demanding of enterprise workloads, perfectly complementing the cutting-edge PowerEdge server hardware that comes with VxRail. These 5th Gen processors boast up to 64 cores per processor, ensuring speedy and powerful processing power for these VxRail platforms.
And we can see more than just an increase in core count over the previous Sapphire Rapids (Gen 4) processors, we also see: faster memory, faster inter-socket bandwidth, and enhanced security – all of which makes our processors an incredibly attractive option for companies perusing new VxRail options during a sales cycle. If you’re not yet convinced, check out this breakdown:
- 14% more compute power: With up to 64 cores per processor, these Xeon scalable CPUs deliver exceptional compute power, with a 14% increase in the number of cores when we compare to Intel Gen 4 processors that have up to 56 cores on the VE-660 and VP-760 platforms.
- 16% faster Memory speed: The 5th Gen Xeon Scalable processors support DDR5 memory with speeds of up to 5600 MT/s, which is a 16% increase compared to the top 4800 MT/s speed offering, Intel Gen 4 on the 16G platforms. This means faster data access and improved overall system performance.
- AI and ML Optimization: Intel's latest Xeon Scalable processors feature Intel Advanced Matrix Extensions (AMX), a built-in AI accelerator that excels in AI inference and smaller training tasks that you can run directly on the CPU. While it doesn’t match high-end GPUs for large-scale AI training, Intel AMX enables the efficient handling of mixed AI and non-AI workloads within the same system, providing an option for customers beginning their AI journey or for edge computing scenarios where dedicated GPUs are not required. As an example of how this might work for the health sector, VxRail powered with Intel’s 5th Gen Xeon scalable processors to simultaneously manage traditional hospital applications, process medical imaging, and run AI for disease detection – all without the need for dedicated AI hardware!
- Advanced Security: With security being a critical concern for customers – these processors include advanced security features with Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX) and Intel Trusted Domain Extensions (TDX) helping protect sensitive data and applications from a wide range of threats.
- 25% increase in bandwidth with faster Ultra Path Interconnects (UPI): 25% increase in bandwidth with up to 4 UPI links @ 20GT/s now being provided. We have a Larger L3 cache with up to 5MB per core which is 2.6 x times larger compared to the 1.875 MB per core offering Intel Gen 4.
Plus, Intel has retained an eight memory channel count per processor, and up to 8TB of total system memory per node.
Figure 2. Intel 5th Generation Xeon scalable processors on VxRail
Now, before I show you how the VE-660 and VP-760 platforms stack up compared to our 14th Generation VxRail platforms, that so many VxRail customers are currently managing in their data centers, I want us to take a peek at some of the hardware highlights that complement these powerful processors so, so well.
VE-660 and VP-760: The Perfect Fit
Figure 3. Front-view of VP-760
If the processor is the brains, then the underlying PowerEdge R660 and R760 servers are surely the heart of VxRail! When it comes to maximizing the power of these processors, VxRail’s VE-660 and VP-760 are the perfect fit, each coming with options of all-flash, hybrid, and all-NVMe storage configurations.
The VP-760 brings its A-game in terms of versatility and scalability, being the larger of our Intel-based 16th Generation nodes, it can achieve a mammoth 368TB of storage per node. It’s a 2U, two-socket platform that balances performance with scalability – with up to 64 cores and 4TB of DDR5 system memory per processor being supported with the 5600 Mt/s DIMMs, these nodes have the potential to provide up to 8TB in total. It also comes with support for both vSAN Original Storage Architecture (OSA) and vSAN Express Storage Architecture, customers are being provided with deployment flexibility for their VxRail clusters.
And the second platform here, the VE-660, this replicates the VP-760 in several areas. It provides the same number of sockets, cores, and total system memory, at up to 8TB of per node. On top of this, we see the introduction of a new all-NVMe single socket chassis configuration, allowing customers to deploy vSAN OSA or vSAN ESA in a single processor configuration which is a significant cost-saving measure for customers who are cognizant of licensing costs for their VxRail clusters. To summarize:
- All-NVMe, all-flash, and hybrid storage configurations available
- Support for high-speed memory capacity with up to 8TB of total system memory, with larger 256Gb 5600 MT/s DIMMs
- vSAN OSA and vSAN ESA supported deployments
- New 1S NVMe configuration for VE-660
- Up to 368TB of storage achievable with VP-760 and vSAN ESA
- GPU acceleration:
- Up to 2x Nvidia double-wide or up to 6x Nvidia single-wide GPUs on VP-760
- Up to 2x Nvidia single-wide GPUs on VE-660
Don’t you think it’s time for your VxRail cluster to shine with a VxRail Technology Refresh?
A large proportion of our valued VxRail customers continue to manage 14th Generation VxRail clusters in their data centres – sporting previous generations of processors, lower storage capacity and slower memory speeds that could be improved upon by taking a leap and transitioning to this newest generation of VxRail.
Looking at Figure 4 below, you can see all the value and gains you can achieve straight out of the gate when transitioning from VxRail’ s 14th Generation P570F nodes to 16th Generation VP-760 with Emerald Rapids. From the support of vSAN ESA that can bring more usable storage (and with RAID 1 performance!), to huge increases in compute power and capacity across your storage, memory and all the enhanced software wizardry with vSphere 8.0 – the theme here really is just more, more and more again!
The 2.2x increase in core count for those top bin CPUs also contributes to a higher VM density allocation, that results in a potential 40% reduction in your cluster footprint, bringing a 10x P570F node cluster down to just 6x VP-760 node. At a time when space is at a premium this welcomed node consolidation is nothing to be sniffed at.
Figure 4. VxRail P570F (Intel Gen 2) Vs VP-760 (Intel Gen 5)
What deployments are supported with VxRail 16th Generation with these new processors?
Right now, greenfield deployments only are supported for these VxRail 16th Generation Intel-based nodes with Intel 5th Generation Xeon scalable processors, with the expectation of mixing generations/adding nodes coming into play with a near-future software release. They can be deployed with vSAN OSA or vSAN ESA and come with all the same supported configurations we saw with the VE-660 & VP-760 with Intel 4th Generation processors – with standard vSAN, stretched, dynamic nodes, 2-node vSAN and satellite nodes.
Some final words…
The powerful combination of VxRail VE-660 and VP-760 platforms and Intel’s 5th Generation Xeon Scalable Processors allows enterprises to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
They deliver higher per count, greater memory bandwidth, greater storage capacity, and expanded I/O delivers performance, security, and scalability - whether you are looking to upgrade your current infrastructure or looking to deploy a new VxRail cluster.
Remember, while the summer evenings seem ever-lasting right now, technology never stands still, and these advancements pave the way for even more exciting VxRail developments in the future.
Resources:
- VxRail Spec Sheet
- Dell Technologies VxRail
- VxRail product page
- VxRail Infohub page
- VxRail and Intel® AMX, Bringing AI Everywhere
Author: Úna O’Herlihy, Senior Principal Engineering Technologist