Viking Enterprise Solutions: Empowering Modern Data Infrastructure

In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, developers, engineers, and architects face unprecedented challenges in managing, processing, and deriving value from vast amounts of data. Viking Enterprise Solutions (VES), a division of Sanmina Corporation, stands at the forefront of addressing these challenges with its innovative hardware and software solutions. This article explores how VES can help professionals in their roles, focusing on key areas of expertise and product offerings based on their recent presentation to the 56th IT Press Tour.

Bridging Hardware and Software for Optimal Performance

One of VES's core strengths lies in its ability to bridge the gap between hardware and software, creating solutions that maximize performance and efficiency. As a product division of Sanmina, a $9 billion public company, VES leverages decades of manufacturing expertise to deliver cutting-edge data center solutions.

For Developers

• Access to high-performance computing resources tailored for specific workloads
• Optimized hardware configurations for running containerized applications and microservices
• Seamless integration with popular development tools and frameworks

For Engineers

• Customizable hardware platforms to meet unique project requirements
• Efficient cooling solutions for high-density computing environments
• Expertise in designing for scalability and future-proofing

For Architects

• Comprehensive solutions spanning compute, storage, and networking
• Flexible engagement models to align with architectural vision
• Support for hybrid and multi-cloud deployments

Advancing High-Density, High-Performance Computing

VES specializes in creating low-power, high-performance, and high-density air-cooled systems. This focus is particularly relevant for professionals working on resource-intensive applications or managing large-scale data centers.

Key Offerings Include

1. NVMe product lines with high availability or active/passive configurations
2. JBOD and LFF storage system product lines for massive data storage needs
3. AI/ML platforms with support for multiple GPUs

Notable Features

• Up to 3.3 petabytes of storage in a 2U space
• 495 GB/s read and 195 GB/s write speeds in PCIe 5.0 NVMe platforms
• Innovative air cooling solutions that significantly reduce power consumption

These specifications enable developers to build and run complex applications with minimal latency, while engineers can design more efficient and compact data center layouts. Architects can leverage these high-density solutions to optimize space utilization and reduce overall infrastructure costs.

Cloud-Native Orchestration for Modern Applications

Recognizing the shift towards cloud-native architectures, VES has developed its Cloud Native Orchestrator (CNO). This software-defined storage platform addresses the needs of professionals working with containerized applications and microservices.

CNO Features

• On-premises cloud object storage
• File services (NFS & SMB)
• Support for generative AI and AI inference
• Custom containerized app deployment

For developers, CNO provides a familiar interface similar to public cloud environments, enabling easier deployment and management of applications. Engineers benefit from the platform's scalability and flexibility, allowing them to design systems that can grow with organizational needs. Architects can leverage CNO to create hybrid cloud solutions that balance performance, cost, and data sovereignty requirements.

Empowering AI and Machine Learning Workflows

As AI and ML become increasingly central to many organizations, VES offers tailored solutions to support these compute-intensive workloads.

AI/ML Offerings Include

1. GPU-based hardware systems supporting NVIDIA and AMD
2. CNO Edge AI software framework (KIRANA)
3. High-availability GPU systems

The KIRANA Framework Is Particularly Noteworthy, Offering

• Pre-configured development environments for edge or local deployment
• Easy-to-use interface with advanced data management capabilities
• Support for multiple applications and users
• Reduced deployment costs and latency

These solutions enable data scientists and ML engineers to focus on model development and training without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. Software architects can design AI-powered applications with confidence, knowing they have access to scalable and efficient compute resources.

Addressing Specific Industry Use Cases

VES has developed expertise in several key industries, offering tailored solutions for common use cases:

1. High-Performance Computing (HPC)

• Support for multiple file systems (Lustre, BeeGFS, Ceph)
• High-availability configurations for critical workloads

2. Media and Entertainment

• Solutions for content acquisition, editing, streaming, and archiving
• High-performance options for real-time video processing

3. Enterprise AI and On-Premises Cloud Storage

• Reference architectures for high-performance AI storage
• Scalable, cost-effective on-premises cloud storage solutions

4. Edge Computing

• Compact, high-performance systems for content distribution, edge AI/ML, and video surveillance
• Solutions designed for deployment in space-constrained environments

By addressing these specific use cases, VES enables professionals to implement best practices and proven architectures in their respective industries.

Flexible Engagement Models

Understanding that every organization has unique needs, VES offers several engagement models:

1. Off-the-shelf solutions for immediate deployment
2. ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) customization of existing products
3. JDM (Joint Design Manufacturing) for collaborative product development
4. Fully custom designs based on detailed specifications

This flexibility allows developers to quickly access standard configurations, while engineers and architects can work closely with VES to create bespoke solutions that precisely meet their requirements.

Embracing Sustainability and Efficiency

In an era of increasing focus on environmental impact, VES has made significant strides in improving the efficiency of its products:

• Air cooling designs that reduce power consumption
• High-density configurations that maximize space utilization
• Support for liquid cooling solutions through partnerships

These advancements allow organizations to reduce their carbon footprint and operating costs without sacrificing performance.

Future-Proofing With Emerging Technologies

VES stays at the forefront of technological advancements, investing in research and development for emerging technologies:

• Exploration of CXL (Compute Express Link) for improved system interconnects
• Investigation of new storage technologies like ZNS (Zoned Namespace) SSDs
• Development of solutions for next-generation GPUs and accelerators

By partnering with VES, professionals can ensure their infrastructure is ready to support future innovations and workloads.

Conclusion: A Trusted Partner for Modern Data Challenges

Viking Enterprise Solutions offers a comprehensive suite of hardware and software solutions designed to address the complex data management and processing needs of today's organizations. By combining expertise in high-density computing, cloud-native orchestration, and industry-specific use cases, VES empowers developers, engineers, and architects to build, deploy, and manage cutting-edge applications and infrastructure.

Whether you're developing AI-powered applications, designing next-generation data centers, or architecting hybrid cloud solutions, VES provides the tools, expertise, and flexibility to turn your vision into reality. As data continues to grow in volume and importance, partnering with VES can help ensure your organization stays ahead of the curve, maximizing performance, efficiency, and innovation.