Microsemi Enhances Switchtec PCIe Switch for Fabric Connectivity and Composability of Multi-Host GPU and NVMe SSD Systems

As the use of GPUs for deep learning, artificial intelligence and machine learning make groundbreaking improvements in areas of image classification, speech recognition, autonomous driving, bioinformatics and video analytics, the need for efficient parallel GPU computing continues to grow.  Microsemi's Switchtec PCIe advanced fabric switches provide a scalable, low-latency and cost-effective multi-host interconnect for a network of GPUs, NVMe SSDs and other PCIe endpoints. The Switchtec PAX product can be used to create a flexible fabric interconnect to a shared pool of GPUs and/or NVMe SSDs using standard operating system drivers. System management is simplified through a fabric application programming interface (API), significantly reducing time to market and development cost for multi-host systems.

"Our Switchtec PAX switch enables GPU resources to be allocated to match workload requirements and maximize efficiency," said Andrew Dieckmann, vice president of marketing for data center solutions at Microsemi. "Using the dynamic partitioning and multi-host SR-IOV sharing features available on our Switchtec PAX switches, GPU resources can be 'composed' or dynamically allocated to a specific host or set of hosts in real-time using standard host drivers."

According to market research firm IndustryARC, the GPU machine learning market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 38 percent till 2024. The firm also notes advanced technologies such as low power consumption, high throughput and flexibility will drastically increase the adoption of machine learning applications across the globe. 

Product Demonstrations During OCP Summit March 20-21
Microsemi's PAX advanced fabric PCIe switch will be showcased during the OCP Summit March 20-21, 2018 at the Hilton San Jose. Dynamic allocation from a pool of GPUs and NVMe SSDs over a PCIe fabric to multiple hosts will be demonstrated. To schedule a meeting with Microsemi, contact Dimitry Melts, senior director of Microsemi's data center vertical, at [email protected].

Switchtec PAX Family Features 
Microsemi's Switchtec PAX family comprises switches from 96 lanes to 24 lanes, providing:

• High-performance PCIe fabric connectivity overcoming the limitations of the PCIe Specification for multi-host systems
• Multi-host sharing of SR-IOV NVMe SSDs, GPUs and other PCIe endpoints
• Virtualization of host PCIe domains and SR-IOV endpoints
• Software development kit (SDK) for virtualization of SR-IOV endpoints, and for enclosure management
• One of the industry's most flexible port bifurcation, from x2 to x16 lanes per port
• High port density, with up to 48 ports
• Advanced error reporting
• Error containment for surprise-plug and unplug to prevent system crashes
• Advanced diagnostics and debug features to identify, diagnose and fix problems
• Separate Refclk Independent SSC (SRIS) for cabled PCIe and lower cost system designs

Product Availability
Microsemi's Switchtec PAX advanced fabric PCIe switches are sampling now to lead customers. For more information, visit https://www.microsemi.com/products/storage/switchtec-pcie-storage-switches/switchtec-pcie-advanced-fabric-switches or contact [email protected].

About Microsemi's PCI Express Product Portfolio
Microsemi is a premier supplier of high value-add PCIe products including the scalable, low power, high-reliability PFX family of PCIe Gen3 fanout switches, the programmable PSX family of PCIe Gen3 storage switches, the advanced PAX family of PCIe Gen3 fabric Switches and the low power, multi-protocol, adaptive EQNOX™ family of signal conditioners with FlexEQ™ equalization technology supporting PCIe Gen3 and PCIe Gen2. Microsemi's PCIe family is key to building low power and high-reliability data center, communications, defense and industrial servers; workstations; switches; routers; cellular infrastructure and test equipment. For more information about Microsemi's PCIe portfolio, visit http://www.microsemi.com/products/drivers-interfaces-and-pcie-switches/pcie-switches/pcie-switches.         

About Microsemi's Product Portfolio for Data Center
Microsemi is a premier supplier of innovative semiconductor, board, system, software and services for enterprise and hyperscale data centers, enabling high performance, secure, low power and reliable infrastructure for scalable deployments. Microsemi technologies drive innovation in applications including storage systems, server storage, NVMe solutions, Ethernet switching, rack scale architecture, data center interconnect, board management, network timing and power subsystems. Building on a track record of technology leadership, Microsemi's data center infrastructure portfolio is transforming networks that connect, store and move big data, while lowering the total cost of ownership of deploying next generation services. 

The portfolio includes high performance NVMe storage controllers, NVRAM drives, SAS/SATA host bus adapters and RAID controllers enabling high capacity storage architectures, high density PCIe switching and firmware for rack scale architectures, PCIe re-drivers, and Ethernet PHYs for intra-rack connectivity. Microsemi's product portfolio also includes clock and power management, IEEE1588 integrated circuits (ICs) and NTP servers for synchronization across the data center, as well as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and system-on-chip (SoC) FPGAs to perform secure system management of servers and storage. For more information, visit http://www.microsemi.com/applications/data-center.

About Microsemi
Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq: MSCC) offers a comprehensive portfolio of semiconductor and system solutions for aerospace & defense, communications, data center and industrial markets. Products include high-performance and radiation-hardened analog mixed-signal integrated circuits, FPGAs, SoCs and ASICs; power management products; timing and synchronization devices and precise time solutions, setting the world's standard for time; voice processing devices; RF solutions; discrete components; enterprise storage and communication solutions, security technologies and scalable anti-tamper products; Ethernet solutions; Power-over-Ethernet ICs and midspans; as well as custom design capabilities and services. Microsemi is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, and has approximately 4,800 employees globally. Learn more at www.microsemi.com.

Microsemi and the Microsemi logo are registered trademarks or service marks of Microsemi Corporation and/or its affiliates. Third-party trademarks and service marks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Any statements set forth in this news release that are not entirely historical and factual in nature, including without limitation statements related to the availability of its Switchtec PCIe advanced Fabric Switch (PAX) providing high-performance fabric connectivity and composability for multi-host GPU and NVMe SSD systems, and its potential effects on future business, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, such factors as rapidly changing technology and product obsolescence, potential cost increases, variations in customer order preferences, weakness or competitive pricing environment of the marketplace, uncertain demand for and acceptance of the company's products, adverse circumstances in any of our end markets, results of in-process or planned development or marketing and promotional campaigns, difficulties foreseeing future demand, potential non-realization of expected orders or non-realization of backlog, product returns, product liability, and other potential unexpected business and economic conditions or adverse changes in current or expected industry conditions, difficulties and costs of protecting patents and other proprietary rights, inventory obsolescence and difficulties regarding customer qualification of products. In addition to these factors and any other factors mentioned elsewhere in this news release, the reader should refer as well to the factors, uncertainties or risks identified in the company's most recent Form 10-K and all subsequent Form 10-Q reports filed by Microsemi with the SEC. Additional risk factors may be identified from time to time in Microsemi's future filings. The forward-looking statements included in this release speak only as of the date hereof, and Microsemi does not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

SOURCE Microsemi Corporation

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