Marvell Data Processing Units

Data Processing Units (DPU)

Empowering 5G carrier, enterprise and AI cloud data infrastructure

Compute, Baseband and Accelerator Platforms

Built on seven generations of the industry’s first, most scalable and widely adopted data infrastructure processors, Marvell’s OCTEON® 10, OCTEON® 10 Fusion and ARMADA® platforms, include a comprehensive range of in-line hardware accelerators and are optimized for AI cloud data centers, 5G wireless infrastructure, enterprise and wireline carrier networks.

Empowering carrier, enterprise and cloud data services

Data Processing Units (DPU)

Marvell’s OCTEON and ARMADA devices are design for use in 5G wireless infrastructure and networking equipment including switches, routers, secure gateways, firewall, network monitoring, and SmartNICs (Smart Network Interface Cards) and are supported with comprehensive and unified software development kits (SDKs) and open source APIs for a wide range of networking, security and compute market applications.

 

OCTEON 10 Family

OCTEON Fusion Baseband Processors

The newest member, the OCTEON 10 Fusion baseband processor, is built on globally-proven 5G baseband technology with comprehensive inline Layer 1 (L1) acceleration providing ultra-low latency, high system capacity, and high per-user data rates. Unlike solutions based on general purpose processors, OCTEON 10 Fusion platforms are optimized to deliver best-in-class 5G performance, power, cost, and time-to-market for integrated or open and virtualized RAN architectures. 

  • Industry’s first 5nm 4G/5G baseband processor
  • Unified platform that supports existing and emerging cloud RAN architectures
  • Enables open, virtualized RAN (vRAN) deployment with feature, performance and power efficiency of exsting, integrated macro base stations.
  • Support for all L1 O-RAN split options
  • Radio Unit (RU) and Distributed Unit (DU) implementations, enabling software reuse
  • Supports ultra-wide bandwidth Massive MIMO RU deployment up to 64T64R and beyond
  • Supports mid-band (sub-7 GHz) and mmWave radio frequencies making them suitable for 5G deployments in any region worldwide
  • Highly configurable baseband offers flexible cell/sector/bandwidth combinations as required for different operator deployment scenarios
  • Optimized 5G PHY layer with sufficient programmability to support future enhancements to the 3GPP 5G Advanced specification
  • Consists of silicon, software and hardware reference designs

OCTEON Fusion CNF105

CNF105 baseband processor provides 5G and LTE-A PHY layer (L1) functionality, including advanced massive MIMO, for high capacity multi-sector macro base station designs ranging from from sub-7GHz to milllimeter wave frequency bands. CNF105 also supports O-RAN and vRAN Distributed Units as well as O-RAN massive MIMO Radio Units.

OCTEON Fusion CNF95XX

CNF95XX family of DPUs provide 5G and LTE-A PHY layer (L1) functionality, supporting base station designs ranging from high capacity micro cells to multi-sector macro cells.  CNF95XX also support O-RAN and vRAN distributed units.  

No-Compromise 5G Open vRAN Accelerators

Marvell is working with RAN and cloud ecosystem partners to develop and deploy 5G Accelerator cards powered by OCTEON 10 Fusion® processors – built on baseband technology widely proven in leading 5G networks worldwide – in a PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect express) card format. The innovative OCTEON 10 Fusion architecture leverages comprehensive in-line 5G Layer 1 acceleration and Marvell’s extensive data infrastructure expertise to enable RAN virtualization in cloud data centers with the features and performance of established, integrated 5G networks. This optimized solution helps the RAN ecosystem break free from the performance tradeoffs of existing Open RAN alternatives that rely primarily on general purpose CPUs.

 

  • Supports open, scalable best-in-class 5G performance, power and cost
  • Built on industry-first 5nm 5G baseband processor
  • Interface to any Arm- or x86-based host server via standard PCIe slot
  • Cloud-optimized in-line 5G acceleration and containerized offload via VFs
  • Full O-RAN compliance with AAL support and O1/O2 interfaces
  • Open-source development tools, including DPDK, and open APIs
  • Integrates with all major cloud management software platforms
  • Collaborative designs with RAN and cloud hardware and software partners

OCTEON Data Processing Units

Marvell’s OCTEON 10 DPU is optimized for challenging hyperscale cloud workloads, 5G transport processing, 5G RAN intelligent controller (RIC) & edge inferencing, carrier & enterprise data center applications and fanless networking edge boxes.

 

  • Industry’s first 5nm DPU that incorporates Arm Neoverse N2 cores delivering 3X the compute performance and 50 percent lower power over previous generations of OCTEON
  • Innovative hardware accelerators for inline ML/AI deliver 100x performance gains over software-based inferencing
  • VPP based hardware accelerator improve the packet processing rate by over 5x
  • Integrated 1 Terabit switch, true inline crypto and highly programmable packet processing
  • Datapath support exceeding 400G
  • The DPU enables high speed connectivity with advanced interfaces including DDR5, PCIe 5.0, and highly optimized silicon proven 56G SerDes

OCTEON 10 CN102, CN103, CN106, and CN106S

The OCTEON 10 DPU family is focused on power sensitive edge applications including 5G transport, SDWAN, SmartNICs, and edge routers. 

OCTEON TX2 DPUs

Marvell’s OCTEON TX2 is 64-bit ARM SoC processors that combine up to 36 cores with configurable and programmable hardware accelerator blocks that support up to 200G data paths.

  • Up to 36 custom designed 64-bit Armv8 cores ranging up to 2.4 GHz frequency
  • Enhanced NITROX® V security co-processors with DPI capability which accelerate a comprehensive set of asymmetric and symmetric cryptographic operations
  • Up to 5 x 100G integrated MACs, up to 56 x 25G SerDes, and DDR4 3200MTS support
  • Rich I/O interfaces supporting PCIe 4.0 root-complex and end point configurations thereby enabling full SOC virtualization
  • Innovative load-balancing and work scheduling hardware for QoS, packet ordering and synchronization

OCTEON TX2 CN9130

A four-core Arm Cortex-A72 DPUs with up to 2.2 GHz frequency. Supports up to 18 lanes high-speed SerDes interfaces, PCIe 3.0 with up to 14 lanes and acceleration engines for networking, public key, security and time stamping.

OCTEON TX2 CN92XX, CN96xx, CN98xx

DPUs with 12-36 64-bit Arm v8 cores at 2.4 GHz per core. The family incorporates NITROX® V security accelerator, DPI engine, compression, QoS and PCIe 4.0. It also supports hardware virtualization, and up to 56 lanes of SerDes.

OCTEON MIPS64 Multi-Core DPUs

The Marvell OCTEON family of MIPS64 data processing units, is the only DPU family that utilizes custom designed 64-bit cnMIPS cores and scales up to 48 cores. It incorporates networking I/Os along with the most advanced security, storage, and application hardware acceleration, offering unprecedented throughput and programmability.

  • Enhanced security processors with DPI capability which accelerate a comprehensive set of asymmetric and symmetric cryptographic operations
  • Rich I/O interfaces supporting root-complex and end point configurations on PCIe 3.0
  • Innovative and unique load-balancing and work scheduling hardware which accounts for QoS, packet ordering and synchronization
  • Common SDK and full networking data plane, control and management plane stack support across the entire family

OCTEON III CN7XXX

CN7XXX scales up to 48 64-bit cnMIPS64 III cores at 1.8 GHz. The family supports standard SerDes I/O with multiple ports of PCIe 3.0, SATA 6G and hardware acceleration engines for 100 Gbps data processing. 

OCTEON TX2 LiquidIO III SmartNIC

Marvell’s LiquidIO III is an OCTEON-based DPU for inline network and security acceleration card in a SmartNIC PCI form factor.  It includes support for a full networking software stack based on Linux and DPDK.  The LiquidIO III architecture can scale on the hardware as well as software capabilities using the latest generation of OCTEON data processing units. Marvell’s third generation 100GbE adapter family enables data centers to rapidly deploy high-performance SDN applications for both installed and new infrastructure optimizing server utilization, response times and network agility. This product in a PCI Express form factor, provides a proven, high-performance programmable adapter platform that enables cloud service providers to offload and accelerate infrastructure workloads in the data center.

  • Highest (24) ARM processor core count SmartNIC on the market
  • Full featured DPDK networking and security suite with Control, Management and Data plane modules

LIquidIO III

Marvell’s LiquidIO III is an OCTEON-based DPU for inline network and security acceleration card in a SmartNIC PCI form factor. It includes support for a full networking software stack based on Linux and DPDK.

SmartNIC SDK

Marvell’s OCTEON DPUs are supported by a common SDK with user plane extensions and hooks for kernel level enhancements.

OCTEON DPU Family

DPUs with 12-36 64-bit Arm v8 cores at 2.4 GHz per core. The family incorporates NITROX® V security accelerator, DPI engine, compression, QoS and PCIe 4.0. Supports hardware virtualization, and up to 56 lanes of SerDes.

ARMADA DPUs

Marvell ARMADA data processing units are custom designed to deliver optimal performance, low power, and high levels of integration. Our ARMv8 standard CPU cores are the most advanced implementations of industry standard ARM architecture, delivering exceptional processing performance. The ARMADA DPU family is optimized for cost optimized applications in compute, networking and storage platforms.

  • Up to 4 Cortex A72, 64-bit ARMv8 cores ranging up to 1.4 GHz frequency
  • Advanced security co-processor which accelerates a comprehensive set of asymmetric and symmetric cryptographic operations
  • Rich I/O interfaces supporting root-complex and end point configurations on PCIe 3.0
  • Networking engine which accounts for hardware parsing, classification, policing and QoS
  • Common SDK and full networking data plane, control and management plane stack support across the entire family

ARMADA 7040

ARMADA 7040 includes quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 64-bit processor with up to 1.4 GHz CPU clock speed. The processor supports up to 6 SerDes lanes, PCIe 3.0 and acceleration engines for storage, networking and security. 

Software

Marvell provides a Unified Software Development Kit (SDK) for all OCTEON and ARMADA families. The Data Processing Unit family device capabilities are enhanced by open source packet and security application acceleration APIs. Marvell® also offers an industry standard control, management and data plane software stack optimized for the latest generation of ARM based OCTEON processors.

  • Market applications that are supported include routing and SD-WAN, network security and threat detection, MEC and edge compute, network disaggregation
  • Support for DPDK poll mode and event mode drivers
  • VPP and ODP support on top of DPDK
  • Kernel hooks provided for XDP and eBPF
  • SDK support for tight integration with Marvell® Switch API and NIC device driver software

 

Unified Software Development Kit

DPU SDK provides complete software platform for development on OCTEON and ARMADA processors. Base SDK is available with generic, and customer-specific extensions such as DPDK, VPP, and ODP.

OCTEON TX2 DPDK Overview

OCTEON TX2 DPDK software package ensures the successful implementation of Marvell’s advanced packet-processing and hardware accelerators.

OCTEON TX2 DPDK
Getting Started

Read more for an overview of how to install and configure the DPDK software on the OCTEON TX2.

Partners

Marvell has developed a rich ecosystem of hardware system level and software partners who are able to showcase OCTEON & ARMADA capabilities across multiple verticals.

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