SolidRun, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance System on Module (SOM) solutions, Single Board Computers (SBC) and network edge solutions, today announced SolidNET, a line of Arm®-based software-defined data processing unit (DPU) PCIe half-height-half-length (HHHL) cards based on off-the-shelf 16-core NXP LX2162A SoCs. Offering customers full flexibility to implement software-defined networking (SDN), networking security, and acceleration functions based on virtIO, DPDK and NVMe standards, these powerful data center solutions are packed with all the key elements required for next-generation cloud-scale computing.
“With the increasing demand for performance in data centers, securing the infrastructure and scaling performance becomes a major challenge,” said Mordi Blaunstein, VP marketing and sales at SolidRun. “SolidRun’s DPU makes it possible to isolate the servers from the infrastructure on the node level, abstracting the infrastructure based on open standards, thus making it higher performance for about the same cost as a standard smartNIC.”
Enabling 100 percent bare-metal and virtualized/containerized Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), these robust and flexible DPUs fully off-load the host server CPU’s hypervisor, handing network and NVMe functions to the DPU, creating physical isolation between the server compute resources and infrastructure. This provides vast service offload capabilities, and is perfect for network management, storage, security abstractions to hide advanced topologies from applications, SDN overlays, mesh, NVMeoF, network HSM, virtual private cloud (VPC) and more. With a dedicated DPU, application performance is greatly improved, making SolidNET DPUs an ideal solution for virtualized and bare-metal hosting infrastructure services. Furthermore, with a SolidNET DPU, these functions no longer compete with application workloads for server cores, memory or storage resources, and benefit from improved server security with independent out-of-band management capabilities, secure boot, and root of trust support.
SolidNET Software-Defined DPUs offer flexible integration for a variety of application-level offloading and acceleration functions, like L4 Firewall, DDOS, Bot Detection, API Gateway, etc. This is extremely beneficial when running workloads at the cloud edge to boost efficiency by maximizing the utilization of the host CPU for running the required application/service algorithms, while the DPU executes the basic function per application instructions. For example, DDoS attack filtering can be executed by the DPU per filtering tables built and maintained by the application running on the host server CPU.
SolidNET DPUs are a multi-vendor solution that utilizes off-the-shelf Arm-based SoCs from the industry’s leading chipmakers. This unlocks a wide variety of potential hardware solutions and vendors, and allows SolidRun to support different features and benefits, while keeping hardware costs low. Since complex network services are offloaded to the DPU, customers can further reduce data center costs with the use of more power-efficient data center network infrastructure hardware.
“DPUs provide an effective way to drive more efficient resource utilization and reduce operating costs throughout the data center,” said Imran Yusuf, director of hardware ecosystem, Infrastructure Line of Business, Arm. “Offloading applications that historically ran on server CPUs to high performance and efficient Arm-based CPUs is benefiting a wide range of applications from AI/ML, databases, storage and security tasks, and microservices. SolidRun’s Software-Defined DPUs will provide a streamlined user experience taking advantage of the robust Arm software ecosystem.”
In early testing, customers have found tremendous success using SolidNET DPUs for software-defined networking functions and application-level acceleration, effectively allowing the DPU to operate as a dedicated server within a server. This offers massive benefits for enterprise security acceleration, CDN uPOP acceleration and infrastructure cloud services. With an abundant software ecosystem for the Arm platform, SolidNET DPUs can be fully customized and optimized for the most stringent applications today and in the future – all while sustaining the highest possible performance.
The general-purpose 16-core Arm-based NXP Layerscape LX2162A CPUs powering SolidNET DPUs offer significant computing capabilities, while the PCIe card form factor makes it ideal for upgrading existing cloud, edge, and enterprise data centers servers for SDN applications. Operating separately from the host server, these DPU cards boot to a general-purpose operating system like Linux and offers independent out-of-band management capability. This offers strict security isolation of the hosting system from the cloud network infrastructure (VPC, encryption, storage services, etc.). Other Arm-based SoC options will be announced later.
SolidNET products are compatible with Linux-based SDN software applications, including DPDK, which provides data plane libraries and network interface controller polling-mode drivers for offloading many networking services and functions. For example, TCP segmentation from the operating system kernel to processes running in the DPU user space.
SolidRun is a global leading developer of embedded systems and network solutions, focused on a wide range of energy-efficient, powerful, and flexible products. Our innovative compact embedded solutions are based on Arm and x86 architecture and offer a variety of platforms including SOMs (System-on-Module), SBCs (Single Board Computer) and industrial mini-PCs.
SolidRun offers a one-stop-shop for developers and OEMs, providing a complete service from hardware customization to software development, product branding and enclosure design. With a mission to simplify application development while overcoming deployment challenges, SolidRun proudly provides customers faster time-to-market and lower costs.
SolidRun,a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance System on Module (SOM) solutions, Single Board Computers (SBC) and network edge solutions, today announced its all-new line of SolidWAN system-level solutions for software-defined wide area networks and network security applications. Available in different form factors, with different wired and wireless networking configuration options, SolidWAN networking solutions are ideal for home office use, SMB and enterprise applications and deployment at the network’s edge.
“Businesses across the world are evolving their network infrastructure to take advantage of the vast flexibility, security, and cost-saving benefits of software-defined networking,” said Mordi Blaunstein, VP Marketing and Sales at SolidRun. “However, one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to network hardware. This is especially true when connecting today’s distributed workforce. With that in mind, we created our game changing SolidWANline, which makes software-defined networking more affordable and easily deployable to home offices, branch offices, data centers and more.”
SolidWAN network hardware solutions are optimized for software-defined networking applications and provide direct connectivity of network ports to the CPU. This direct connection allows all network traffic to be managed by software, which not only guarantees the highest security and best possible quality of service, but also makes upgrading network hardware, deploying updates and establishing new network services fast and easy. The embedded Layerscape® LX2 SoCs from NXP® Semiconductors offer advanced data path acceleration optimized for L2/3 packet processing, security offload and robust traffic management and quality of service.
“The future of network management is software based, and NXP has created the powerful Layerscape LX2160A and LX2162A processors with this in mind,” said Toby Foster, senior product marketing manager at NXP. “SolidRun’s SolidWAN networking solutions take full advantage of our LX2 line of processor’s 16 powerful cores, numerous SerDes lanes, security acceleration, and data compression engine to produce cost-effective and compact hardware that can be configured to serve any number of enterprise and edge processing network functions, while helping to reduce latency, enhancing security, and improving resiliency.”
For Home Offices and SMBs
The SolidWAN LX2162A is a small form factor network solution that takes full advantage of the robust performance and security features embedded into the LX2162A SoC from NXP. Utilizing SolidRun’s LX2-Lite system-on-module as the foundation for this compact system, the SolidWAN LX2162A efficiently addresses SMB and local branch office needs with outstanding performance and security. Engineered with a wide array of wired and wireless software-defined networking connection options, including eight dedicated GbE RJ45 ports, two 25GbE SFP and two 10GbE dedicated SFP interfaces, and optional GbE RJ45 management port, LTE and Wi-Fi options, this unit offers maximum site installation flexibility while maintaining a compact, desktop-friendly footprint and low price point.
SolidRun also offers fanless small form factor SD-WAN platforms with quad-core processors and 1GbE/2.5GbE/10GbE software-defined dedicated Ethernet ports to address the home-office, remote-workers, and Industrial locations the need high security and high-performance network services.
For Enterprise and Edge
For the most advanced enterprise and edge data center applications, the SolidWAN Dual LX2160A network solution boasts 32-core processing performance for advanced network security and accelerated data routing capabilities. With two SolidRunLX2160A COM Express 7 modules serving as the system’s foundation, each packing a 16-core NXP LX2160A SoC, up to 32GB of DDR4, up to 64GB of embedded eMMC, this SD-Wan- and software-defined network security-targeted system supports up to 24 dedicated high-speed Ethernet connections (12 10GbE SFP+ and 12 1GbE SFP interfaces). This system is also equipped with a 2x100GbE OCP3.0 Dual Host NIC which features two dedicated 100GbE QSFP28 interfaces. What’s more surprising than the number of dedicated high-speed connections this system supports is its size. Thanks to the purpose-built, network-focused design of the SoCs used and the thermal efficiency of Arm processors, SolidRun was able to engineer this system to fit within a standard 1U rack-mountable enclosure.
For less intense applications, SolidRun offers a SolidWAN Single LX2160A network solution that features a single NXP LX2160A SoC and supports up to 16 high-speed Ethernet connections (8 10GbE SFP+ and 8 1GbE SFP interfaces). This system is equipped with 4x10GbE OCP3.0 NIC which features four dedicated SFP+ interfaces. Like the SolidWAN Dual LX2160A, this system also features a compact 1U rack-mountable enclosure.
As with many SolidRun network hardware solutions, the SolidWAN family of products offers SKUs that support a wide range of deployment environments and can be pre-configured for commercial applications where environmental conditions range between 0°C to 70°C, or for more extreme industrial applications where conditions range between -40°C to 75°C.
SolidWAN products are compatible with Linux-based SDN software applications, including DPDK, which provides data plane libraries and network interface controller polling-mode drivers for offloading TCP packet processing from the operating system kernel to processes running in user space. SolidRun has also partnered with several software developers to offer full SD-WAN and security service software to customers.
Today at Embedded World 2022,SolidRun, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance system-on-module (SOM) solutions, single-board computers (SBC) and network edge solutions, announced a new line of efficient and powerful system-on-module solutions based on the RZ/G2 family of SOCs from Renesas. As the first product to emerge from this exciting partnership, these new SOMs are uniquely engineered and positioned as an ideal foundation for AI-enhanced human-machine-interface (HMI) applications, industrial and building automation, video surveillance, IoT solutions and more.
“We developed our RZ/G2 family of general-purpose microprocessors to serve a variety of entry-level HMI products, while giving much thought to lowering systems costs and maximizing performance and overall capabilities,” said Frank Urbe, Senior Manager, SST EMEA at Renesas Electronics Europe. “We’re excited to work with SolidRun to bring a new line of SOMs based on our RZ/G2 family of MPUs to market. These compact SOMs are sure to help customers quickly take advantage of the many unique benefits of our powerful and cost-effective MPUs and will shave months of development time off roadmaps.”
Equipped with all necessary power, memory and I/O subsystems for expedited development, these SOMs take advantage of the RZ/G2LC MPU’s powerful 64-bit Cortex-A55 processor cores, that can deliver 20 percent greater processing power over conventional Cortex-A53 core processors running at the same frequency. With an integrated Arm® Mali™-G31 3D GPU, these SOMs also offer excellent image processing capabilities without tasking the CPU. The embedded GPU also adds value for its advanced AI inference execution processing capabilities, which clock in nearly six-times faster than what is possible with Cortex-A53 processor-equipped devices.
Combining the embedded GPU, AI inference capabilities and hardware H.264 codec, with an embedded camera and display interface makes this SOM an excellent platform for intercoms, video doorbells, network cameras, handheld POS systems, and more.
Designed with small form factor devices like video doorbells and powered IP cameras in mind, this new SOM maintains a tiny footprint measuring just 47 x 30mm. This SOM also offers pin-to-pin compatibility with SolidRun’s NXP i.MX8 Mini SOM, offering customers options when specifying hardware for IoT, building automation, security, and other applications. Because it is pin-to-pin compatible with the i.MX8 Mini SOM, customers can pair the new RZ/G2 SOM with the feature-rich Hummingboard Pulse carrier board for expedited prototyping and product development.
“Network security cameras, video doorbells, smart office controllers, and more all require a few things in common – a powerful processor, image and video processing capabilities, a fast network connection, and varying levels of AI inference processing support,” said Dr. Atai Ziv, CEO at SolidRun. “Working with Renesas, we’ve developed an affordable and surprisingly potent module based on their RZ/G2 line of MPUs that not only satisfies these requirements but adds serious value-adding capabilities for the price point. Furthermore, these new SOMs are pin-to-pin compatible with other SOMs we offer, which provides customers new platform options to consider for their products.”
Since many of the industrial and automation applications that this SOM targets require a lot of time between development and release, and since these products tend to remain in operation for many years, long-term software support is a necessity. Renesas RZ/G2 MPUs adopt the Linux kernel provided by the Civil Infrastructure Platform (CIP) and provide the verified Linux Package (VLP) on the CIP Linux kernel to greatly reduce Linux maintenance required by customers. This ensures Linux software that drives devices based on the RZ/G2 platform will maintain long-term support for many years to come.
Available today, the RZ/G2LC SOM, the first SOM from SolidRun based on the RZ/G2 family of MPUs from Renesas, starts at $67 USD. Customers can order these products today at www.solid-run.com. To help expedite the development process, customers will be provided with an optimized board support package, stable long-term support for select software distributions, access to SolidRun’s support tools and sample source code.
Smaller Than a Rubik’s Cube, SolidRun’s I.MX 8M Plus Powered CuBox-M Provides Software Developers a Pocketable Platform to Test New Applications
SolidRun, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance edge computing solutions, today announced a new addition to its recently announced portfolio of i.MX 8M Plus powered solutions – the CuBox-M Micro Desktop Computer.
At 8 cubic inches (2”x2”x2”), CuBox-M offers developers an unwavering combination of design simplicity and engineering capability, while its remarkably small size makes it perfect for on-the-go demos and product development. The ultra-compact desktop computer comes packed with either a dual- or quad-core ARM® Cortex® A53 processor with integrated Cortex® M7 core, a Cadence® Tensilica® HiFi 4 DSP that supports voice and natural language processing chores, and an integrated neural processing unit for enhanced AI and machine learning capabilities at the edge.
The CuBox-M is perfect for software developers. “Not everyone working on Arm-based IoT software wants an exposed SBC lying on their desk with wires hanging out of it. Sometimes a software developer or machine learning researcher just wants a streamlined system to test their product on, be it an Android application or a new Edge-based AI inference algorithm,” said SolidRun’s chief systems architect Jon Nettleton. “CuBox-M offers them exactly that, a small, powerful, and cost-effective machine for testing software that benefits from the incredible capabilities of the new i.MX 8M Plus.”
The CuBox-M comes equipped with multiple USB 3.0 interfaces and a 1080p HDMI output with plug-and-play desktop standards that software developers are used to. Additionally, SolidRun offers an optional upgrade that adds Power over Ethernet (PoE). Adding PoE makes it so that a single Ethernet cable connection services double duty as a connectivity source and power source for the entire CuBox-M system – including attached peripherals. For those that require the freedom to do development work remotely, the CuBox-M travels well – requiring very little space in a travel bag.
Collaboration Expedites the Development of 5G Network and Edge IoT Solutions by Offering Computing Platforms, Memory and SSD Storage That Have Been Prequalified for Compatibility
The much-anticipated move to 5G communications has begun and now most industries are working towards building the infrastructure to support the vast coverage and incredible speed that comes with it. SolidRun, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance edge computing solutions, and Virtium®, a leading provider of industrial-grade solid-state drive (SSD) and memory solutions, have announced a collaboration to provide the industry with essential building blocks for creating new technologies for the network edge that fully benefit from 5G.
“We see many industries looking to the near-zero latency of 5G as being the key to unlocking the true potential of Industrial IoT, but to benefit from these speeds, having the right hardware is critical,” said Atai Ziv, CEO at SolidRun. “We saw an opportunity to create a variety of solutions ranging from computer on modules and carrier boards to rack-mount Arm servers that will expedite the proliferation of 5G across the entire ecosystem. Additionally, we’re teaming up with key industry players, like Virtium, to ensure that our systems are paired with storage solutions that won’t bottleneck data processing speeds or compromise data security.”
“5G’s unprecedented bandwidth will dramatically increase the demand for industrial-grade solid-state storage throughout the network infrastructure – especially at the edge, where low latency, high endurance and rock-solid security are imperative,” said Virtium Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing Jacques Issa. “Collaborating with SolidRun as we have to develop complete solutions – edge-computing platforms with already-qualified SSDs, integrated software and memory – will help meet that demand and unleash the power and promise of 5G at the network edge.”
Poised to deliver as much as a 2,000-percent increase in network speed and support for up to 10-times more device connections than 4G, all while reducing total network power consumption, 5G is expected to bring the Internet of Things (IoT) to new levels and dramatically boost the role data plays in society. According to a recent Ericsson Mobility Report, 190 million 5G subscriptions are expected by the end of 2020 and forecasted to grow to 2.8 billion in 2025, representing approximately 30 percent of total mobile subscriptions.
The speed and widespread coverage promised by 5G is poised to revolutionize several industries, including manufacturing, logistics, farming/agriculture, communications, industrial automation, healthcare, and energy. It will lay the framework for truly smart cities and usher in the age of autonomous transportation.
To design the systems needed to proliferate 5G across the entire ecosystem, hardware solutions that create, route or consume data at 5G speeds must be optimized for reliable transfer of data at incredibly fast rates and be protected against data loss from power failure, but must also offer a new level of security. Beyond how data is handled, these systems must also operate at low power and fit within form factor constraints all while still maintaining exceptional resilience to harsh environmental factors like heat, shock and vibration. These are value propositions that both SolidRun and Virtium are each well known for. Together, the two companies are able to support a wide range of edge computing applications for indoor and outdoor deployment.
SolidRun is a leading provider of computing and network technology designed to streamline the deployment of edge computing infrastructure, support embedded and IoT markets and give rise to the vast adoption of AI and 5G. SolidRun’s innovative solutions are based on ARM and x86 architecture, and are available as off-the-shelf products and as components in the form of computer-on-modules and single-board computers.
By providing the edge computing, AI inference and networking building blocks needed to architect the connected future, SolidRun helps its customers to realize technology’s true potential for maximizing productivity. For more information, please visit www.solid-run.com.
About Virtium
Virtium is a leading supplier of industrial-grade solid-state storage and memory solutions for the world’s top OEMs. For more than two decades, the company has designed and built its SSDs, products in the USA, fortified by a global network of sales and support locations. Virtium’s superior industrial embedded solutions and unsurpassed customer support consistently rate some of the highest customer-satisfaction surveys in the industry. For more information, please visit www.virtium.com.
Virtium and StorFly are registered trademarks and StorKit is a trademark of Virtium LLC.
