A Leap Forward in Storage Efficiency with the OFP Initiative and Hammerspace

Hammerspace is driving the Open Flash Platform (OFP) Initiative, an effort to significantly reduce the complexity and cost associated with large-scale flash storage for AI and other demanding workloads. This presentation introduced a reference design for a high-density, low-power flash storage solution that achieves unprecedented capacity and efficiency within data centers. The goal is to deliver one exabyte of storage in a single rack, enabling a new paradigm of “disappearing storage” in which compact 1U systems are distributed throughout a data center, leveraging otherwise unused rack space and minimal power consumption.

The development process involved several design iterations, shifting from a challenging 2U form factor to a more efficient 1U design. This shift addressed issues such as chassis deformation, power/cooling inefficiencies, and wasted space, requiring extensive thermal and pressure analyses to ensure reliable operation in a tightly packed environment. A significant breakthrough was selecting the Xsight DPU, which delivers robust compute capabilities comparable to an x86 server from a few years ago, in a highly power-efficient package that supports Linux and storage services within this compact design. Ted Weatherford highlighted the Xsight E1 chip as the world’s first 800-Gig DPU, featuring 64 Neoverse cores, a programmable NIC, and an “all fast path design” that eliminates data bottlenecks, achieving 800-Gig line rates, as independently verified by KeySite.

Looking ahead, Hammerspace and its partners are actively exploring new flash form factors to overcome current E2 limitations and achieve the one exabyte-per-rack goal. The OFP Initiative aims to standardize within the Open Compute Project (OCP) to ensure broad industry adoption and benefits. The versatility of the Xsight chip enables applications beyond shared file storage, including block storage and a homogeneous boot device for hyperscalers, streamlining qualification and management across diverse server infrastructures. The project is currently in prototyping and validation, with early-access customers receiving units this quarter and general availability targeted for the second half of the year, while continually recruiting more industry participants to drive this standard forward.