We are in on the cusp of a true data revolution, a historical moment in which the way computers and humans interact with the world around them is forever altered. Faster servers, high capacity data storage solutions, and the 5G network are all being built to support this shift. However, there is a gap that needs to be filled that can alleviate the immediate requests of a connected world.
Usher in edge servers, data processing and transmission engines that process, analyze and store information. The interesting part is where they reside. At the edge where data is used and consumed; oftentimes in non-traditional environments, such as city streets or cell tower stations.
Given the environments in which they often reside and the purpose for which they are being utilized, edge servers have some unique requirements such as lower power consumption while still maintaining high network throughput. Fortunately, Intel’s latest Atom® C3000 SoC series, formerly codenamed Denverton, offered all of this and more.
The Intel® Atom® C3000 based edge servers feature low power consumption, up to 16 processing cores, connectivity through 4 10GB Ethernet ports, integrated Intel QuickAssist technology (QAT) and multiple high speed I/O options. Servers built on the Intel® Atom® C3000 SoC series fill a much-needed market gap and are ideally suited for the communications and security markets.
Intel® Atom® C3000 based edge servers for communications
With the advent of 5G wireless networks in the near future, more and more processing will need to be performed at the network edge before select data is routed to the core network. In order to handle the huge amounts of data and wireless connections anticipated, 5G wireless stations will require significant edge resources related to packet processing/inspection, routing, flow control, data compression, and encryption, as well as multi-gigabit egress capabilities. Often times, these functions will be performed via Network Function Virtualization (NFV) instead of traditional ASICs or FPGAs to provide ease of upgrading and elastic resource allocation.
Furthermore, many of the environments where 5G wireless stations are expected to be deployed will likely not be suitable for traditional servers or network equipment. For example, these 5G wireless stations and edge servers must be largely processing-independent, as passing data back and forth to distant server farms will create data bottlenecks and slowdowns, unacceptable in the age of always-on communication.
UNICOM Engineering can address challenging requirements such as these with our ruggedized R-1000 appliance server. The R-1000 features a ruggedized, passively cooled, DC powered enclosure with an optional IP65 dust/water protection rating and a variety of supported mounting positions. Designed for continuous extended temperature operation, the R-1000 offers 8 CPU cores, Intel QAT, up to 256GB of RAM, M.2 SSD storage, 4 x 10GE ports, 1 x 1GE management port, RS-232 serial, optional 802.11ac WiFi/Bluetooth and optional 3G/LTE-A WWAN connectivity, all built around the Intel® Atom® C3000 SoC.
The Intel® Atom® C3000 series is also perfectly suited for wired network communications appliances. The same virtualization, QAT offload, efficient power utilization, and high-performance networking capabilities that make it a strong solution for wireless network optimization also provide an ideal feature set for solutions such as WAN optimization, SD-WAN appliances, network test and measurement equipment, and network load balancers.
UNICOM Engineering offers a range of platforms with features similar to the R1000 but in different form factors for these more traditional IT environments. Our S-750, S-1300, and S-1500 C3000 Atom-based platforms extend upon our existing C2000 Atom-based appliances and expand upon the platform options for deployments in environmentally controlled environments. Available with up to 16 CPU cores and additional fix drive storage options, the S-750 provides a smaller, desk-side style footprint for areas where traditional rackmount server form factors are not well suited. The S-1300 features a short depth rackmount form factor that provides a single x8 PCIe Gen 3 slot for additional expansion. To round out the Intel Atom C3000 platforms in the S-series, the S-1500 extends upon the S-1300 by providing 4 x hot-swap 3.5” drive bays and redundant hot-swap power supplies in a 20” deep rack mount form factor for maximum availability, serviceability and flexibility.
Looking ahead, UNICOM Engineering will continue to work closely with our partners like Intel to develop compute solutions that fit market gaps and meet next-generation solution needs. We often even perform ODM functions to develop unique solutions to meet specific requirements. As you consider partners to help you with your application deployment strategies, consider things like flexibility and expertise to help you to get the right solution that meets your performance and cost goals.
Let UNICOM Engineering’s expertise go to work for you! Visit UNICOM Engineering at www.unicomengineering.com or call one of our experts at 800-977-1010.