The road to 800G Ethernet

Even as 400G Ethernet adoption continues to grow, in the world’s biggest data centers, the 800G Era has officially begun. It’s now just a matter of time before service providers and other large network operators follow suit. It’s happening more quickly than expected, and explosive growth in next-generation applications — especially artificial intelligence (AI) — is the biggest reason.

https://www.5gtechnologyworld.com/how-ieee-802-3df-brings-800g-ethernet-to-life/

AI in Q4 of 2024

In terms of NVLink networking, in the GB200 NVL72 single-cabinet solution, the computing nodes within the cabinet are interconnected with the NVLink Switch using copper cables, without the need for optical-electrical signal conversion, which is consistent with the previous GH200 cabinet interconnection solution. However, in certain high-performance AI computing scenarios, the fifth-generation NVLink can be used to achieve high-speed interconnection of up to 8 GB200 NVL72 systems (576 Blackwell GPUs). When interconnecting GB200 NVL72 cabinets based on NVLink, two-by-two interconnection can use LACC copper connections,

the new system is set for production shipments starting in the second quarter and will ramp in the third quarter

Shelf Registration. After the Company becomes subject to the Reporting Requirements of
the U.S. Exchange Act, the Manager Group Permitted Holders shall have the right to
require the Company at any time and from time to time to file a Registration Statement,
including a Registration Statement covering the resale of all Registrable Securities on a
delayed or continuous basis, on Form F-1 or Form F-3 Registration Statement or such other
form of registration statement that may be available at such time for the resale of the
Registrable Securities by the Manager Group Permitted Holders (a “Shelf Registration
Statement”), and take such other steps as may be necessary to register the Distribution in
the United States of all or any portion of the Registrable Securities held by the Manager
Group Permitted Holders (a “Shelf Registration”), by giving a notice with the information
required in Section 6.1(b) to the Company. Upon exercise of a Shelf Registration right, the
Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to file within 30 days after receipt
of the Request a Shelf Registration Statement relating to such Shelf Registration and cause
such Shelf Registration Statement to become effective under the U.S. Securities Act,

Nvidia also surprised analysts by giving an aggressive timeline for its next-generation GPU, called Blackwell, which will be available in data centers in the fiscal fourth quarter. Those comments allayed fears of a slowdown as companies wait for the latest technology.

the initial IEEE 802.3dj 1.6T and 200G per lane technology adoption timelines may be delayed. Reasons include IEEE 802.3dj schedule delays, a focus on deploying 800G for AI/ML

A hot topic among OFC attendees was alternative paths to 1.6T. Instead of doubling the number of bits, the number of electrical lanes can be doubled from 8 to 16 using OSFP-XD technology. OSFP-XD offers 1.6T density with 16 lanes of 100G and the potential for 3.2T density with 16 lanes of 200G. Using 16 lanes of 100G would be an option for hyperscalers.

Last month, the IEEE ratified 802.3df, the 800G Ethernet rate, 100G electrical lane architecture standards. Just as with 400G, the industry is rallying and converging quickly on the technology now that standards are completed. Vendors are rushing to demonstrate they are compliant with the 100G lane architecture.

https://www.spirent.com/blogs/ai-ml-was-ready-for-its-closeup-at-ofc-2024

How NVIDIA GB200 Utilizes 800G/1.6T DAC/ACC


NVIDIA has released the latest GB200 series compute systems, with significantly improved performance. These systems utilize both copper and optical interconnects, leading to much discussion in the market about the evolution of “copper” and “optical” technologies.

Current Situation: The GB200 (including the previous GH200) series is NVIDIA’s “superchip” system. Compared to traditional servers, the system has a larger granularity, with 36 or 72 GPUs connected primarily using electrical signals within the cabinet. Externally, they employ both NVLink and InfiniBand networks.

The choice between copper and optical is essentially a tradeoff between distance and speed.

The market’s understanding of the increase in copper interconnects is due to:

Previously, the H100 series clusters did not have intra-cabinet interconnects, but rather a separate network cabinet, and the chip rate was relatively high, so there was almost no short-distance copper wire.

While for the GB200 series, although there are many copper wires within the cabinet, the demand for optical interconnects in large clusters, such as the NVLink domain and the optical interconnect expansion of IB, is very large, and the future path of silicon photonics and chip-to-chip optical I/O is already very clear.

Q: What is the role of the IP architecture in the GB200 series?

A: For some large customers who need cross-cabinet connections, the IP architecture is used for external connections. However, the difference between GB200 and GB200 lies in the internal connections. GB200 uses m link electrical connections (i.e., copper interconnects between GPU and switch), rather than the backplane connection method of last year. Huang particularly emphasized the advantages of copper interconnects in cost reduction and performance demonstration at the conference.
gb200

Q: At the GTC conference, Jensen Huang gave a special explanation of the copper interconnect solution, what are its advantages?

A: This is the first time that the copper interconnect solution has been specifically explained at such an important conference, which is also a point of great concern to everyone. The GPUs are connected through the mlink, confirming the use of copper interconnects, and their product solution may be similar to last year’s backplane connection method. Huang emphasized the advantages of copper interconnects in cost reduction and performance demonstration.

Q: What is the impact of the launch of the GB200 series on the market?

A: As NVIDIA’s new generation of server-level GPU chips, the GB200 series’ performance and efficiency improvements will have a significant impact on the market. Particularly, its adoption of the copper interconnect solution may change the internal connection method of GPU clusters, reducing costs and improving performance. Furthermore, the GB200 may change the design and deployment of data centers, further driving the development of artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Q: What are the advantages of the GB200 copper interconnect?

A: Highlights of the GB200 launch: The GB200 single chip contains 2 GPUs and 1 CPU, and the main product launched is a single cabinet product composed of 36 GB200 chips. This shows that NVIDIA is focusing on electrical interconnects (mlink) rather than optical interconnect technology. Market promotion and expectations: GB200 will be widely applied, in contrast to the GH200 which has not been widely adopted. According to Huang’s speech at the conference, multiple potential major customers suggest that GB200 has high volume expectations. The market generally believes that the promotion of GB200 may lead to a gradual increase in the ratio of optical modules to GPUs from 1:2.5 to 1:9, and the sales volume of GB200 next year may have great growth potential.
GB200 computing cluster network architecture

Q: What are the main differences between GB200 and GH200?

A: The main difference is that the GH series is not a high-volume product, while GB200 has a wide range of potential customers, including Google, Meta, OpenAI, Microsoft, Oracle, and Tesla. This means GB200 will see widespread application and high-volume adoption.

Q: What type of interconnect solution did GB200 adopt?

A: GB200 adopted a copper interconnect solution, which reduces costs. Especially with the high-volume adoption of GB200, this will become an important factor driving the increase in demand for optical modules.

Q: What industry trend did Huang’s presentation at the conference reflect?

A: His presentation at the conference can be seen as a reflection of an industry trend, not just a short-term hot topic. Over time, the industry will observe the performance delivery of the relevant companies. The market previously had debates on copper vs. optical interconnect solutions, but now it has been confirmed that GB200 adopted the copper interconnect solution.

Q: What is the market prospect for the copper interconnect solution?

A: The market’s attitude towards the copper interconnect solution is changing. The fact that GB200 adopted the copper interconnect solution indicates that this solution may see wider application in the future. With the performance delivery of the relevant companies, the market prospect of the copper interconnect solution is worth looking forward to.

Q: What are the main differences between GB200 and GH200?

A: The main difference is that the GH series is not a high-volume product, while GB200 has a wide range of potential customers, including Google, Meta, OpenAI, Microsoft, Oracle, and Tesla. This means GB200 will see widespread application and high-volume adoption.