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I'm starting to wonder if next-generation blade systems might not just have a bunch of USB-C connectors to act as a backplane. They provide power, data connecti
by astrodust 10y ago
I'm starting to wonder if next-generation blade systems might not just have a bunch of USB-C connectors to act as a backplane. They provide power, data connectivity, external storage links and anything more. Small, self-contained modules like this could contain the CPU and whatever other components are best to have locally, like a small local SSD and memory.
- detaro 10y agoFor blades I would expect mostly PCIe lanes to the outside. USB-C IMHO adds a lot of extras that are not needed for that use case.
- astrodust 10y agoUSB-C/TB can carry PCIe lanes, so it's mostly a matter of latency due to protocol overhead more than bandwidth.
- detaro 10y agoSure, but why would you add that overhead (both in latency and electronics needed) to transport e.g. 16 PCIe lanes over 4 USB connections just to then direct it to PCIe devices anyways, especially if those devices partially need more than 4 lanes? USB-C is a really cool solution, but a solution for the needs of laptops/other personal devices, not servers.
- astrodust 10y agoWhy would you add the overhead? * Dead simple design. * Easily hot-swappable without expensive proprietary connectors. * Low cost solution that provides adequate bandwidth. This isn't something that will perform better than a proper server with actual PCIe lanes, but it will perform better than a blade from two generations ago that didn't have that kind of backplane bandwidth and it will cost less to manufacture.