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Chelsio Announces T7 DPU Platform Sampling

Chelsio Communications, Inc., a well-recognized leader in high-performance Ethernet Unified Wire ASICs and Adapters, has made a significant announcement regarding the availability of its T7 Data Processing Unit (DPU) platform. This marks an important milestone in high-performance networking, particularly for applications requiring substantial computing resources such as storage, security, and artificial intelligence.

The T7 DPU Platform Overview

The T7 DPU represents a leap forward in Chelsio's technological advancements, being purpose-built to cater to the evolving needs of modern infrastructure. Following extensive early access deployments, the platform is now ready for broader sampling, showcasing features developed through close collaboration with early adopters in various sectors, including artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

CEO Kianoosh Naghshineh expressed optimism about the T7's potential, stating, "T7 is the first DPU-class solution from Chelsio, engineered from the ground up to handle modern offload requirements in AI, storage, and security environments." This release signifies a refined product capable of addressing the increasing demand for robust Ethernet-based solutions.

Key Features of T7 DPU

The T7 DPU platform is designed for high-throughput, low-latency networking. Below are some of its key features:

• - Full Hardware Offload Support: The T7 provides extensive hardware offloading capabilities for protocols such as NVMe/TCP, NVMe over Fabrics, and iSCSI, facilitating ultra-low-latency deployments for storage solutions.
• - Advanced Data Security: It includes in-line support for security features like IPsec and TLS, ensuring data integrity and security during transmission.
• - High-Performance Data Transfer: With the ability to achieve line-rate offloads up to 400 GbE, the T7 addresses the needs of data-intensive applications effectively.
• - Customizability: The design allows for flexible architecture and FPGA integration, offering customizable acceleration suited to specific workloads.

In addition, the T7 platform incorporates integrated hardware engines for various functions, including compression and error correction, making it versatile for different deployment scenarios.

Deployment Variants

The T7 platform is available in two main variants:

• - T7 Full-Featured DPU: Targeted at storage appliances, security platforms, and networking solutions focused on AI.
• - S7 Variant: A cost-optimized model without DRAM, suitable for high-volume cloud and server environments, particularly beneficial for transitioning offloads from hardware appliances to disaggregated cloud infrastructures.

This innovative architecture unifies switch, compute, and FPGA functions to create customized acceleration pathways tailored specifically for user workloads. The T7's capabilities are a result of continuous development across several generations of silicon, ensuring backward compatibility with previous software versions, which provides investment protection.

Industry Recognition and Future Outlook

Chelsio's advancements have not gone unnoticed in the tech community. The company recently sponsored an IDC Analyst Brief outlining how DPUs are transforming data center architectures by offloading traditional infrastructure workloads. Brandon Hoff, an Executive Analyst at IDC, noted that DPUs offer compelling solutions for organizations integrating AI and storage on Ethernet, highlighting the T7's performance and flexibility in adapting to modern infrastructure needs.

Chelsio will have a presence at the Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) 2025 conference in Santa Clara, California from August 5 to 7, directly inviting attendees to explore the capabilities of the T7 architecture at Booth 851. This move reinforces Chelsio's commitment to innovation and leadership in delivering high-performance networking solutions for the future.

Conclusion

The T7 DPU announcement represents a significant leap in Chelsio's product offerings, reinforcing their position as a leader in high-performance Ethernet solutions. With enhanced features aimed at addressing the evolving demands of AI, storage, and security, the T7 is positioned to deliver unprecedented performance and efficiency in networking applications. As organizations increasingly lean towards advanced networking technologies, solutions like the T7 DPU are set to play a vital role in shaping the future of data center infrastructure.