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Cables and Modules.............................39 Networking Cables ............................39 RJ45 Cable for the 1GbE OOB Management Interface....................40 USB Interface Cabling ............................41 Bring-Up and Driver Installation ........................42 BlueField Software..............................42 Software On eMMC..............................43 Yocto Distribution Installation ..........................43 PXE Server Configuration on Host Side ........................44 Installing Linux on BlueField Controller Card.......................44 Software Requirements ............................
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Installing MLNX_OFED on the BlueField Controller Card ..................62 Updating BlueField Controller Card Firmware ..................... 64 Troubleshooting ............................66 Specifications............................67 MBF2H516B-CEEOT / MBF2H516B-CENOT Specifications....................67 BlueField-2 BF2500 Mechanical Drawing and Dimensions....................68 Finding the MAC on the Controller Card......................70 Thermal Sensors............................71 Document Revision History ......................... 72 ...
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About This Manual It provides details as to the interfaces of the board, specifications, required software and firmware for operating the board, and a step-by-step plan of how to bring up the BlueField-2 DPU. EOL'ed (End of Life) Ordering Part Numbers Series/ Core Speed Max Speed No.
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Copper cables (DACs), copper splitter cables, Active Optical Cables (AOCs) and transceivers in a wide range of lengths from 0.5m to 10km. In addition to meeting IBTA standards, NVIDIA tests every product in an end-to-end environment ensuring a Bit Error Rate of less than 1E-15. ...
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Revision History A list of the changes made to this document are provided in Document Revision History.
This is the User Manual for NVIDIA® BlueField®-2 BF2500 DPU Controller. This document provides details of the product interfaces, specifications, required software and firmware for operating the board, and a step-by-step plan of how to bring up the BlueField-2 BF2500 DPU Controller. System Requirements Item Description Main-board PCI Express slot...
Package Contents Before installing your new system, unpack it and check against the below tables that all the parts have been sent. Check the parts for visible damage that may have occurred during shipping. If anything is damaged or missing, contact your reseller. Card Package ...
Ideal Solution for JBOF and JBOD Systems NVIDIA BlueField-2 DPU is a highly integrated and efficient controller, optimized for NVMe storage systems, Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), Cloud and Machine Learning workloads. BlueField-2 integrates all the discrete components of a storage system appliance into a single chip, including Arm core CPUs, PCIe switch and a network controller, making it the premier solution for building Just-a-Bunch-Of-Flash (JBOF) systems, All-Flash-Array and storage appliances for NVMe over Fabrics.
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NVIDIA PeerDirect NVIDIA PeerDirect communication provides high-efficiency RDMA access by eliminating unnecessary internal data copies between components on the PCIe bus (for example, from GPU to CPU), and therefore significantly reduces application run time. DPU advanced acceleration technology enables higher cluster...
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Feature Description Quality of Service (QoS) Support for port-based Quality of Service enabling various application requirements for latency and SLA. Storage Acceleration A consolidated compute and storage network achieves significant cost-performance advantages over multi-fabric networks. Standard block and file access protocols can leverage RDMA for high-performance storage access.
Supported Interfaces Layout and Interfaces This section describes the DPU supported interfaces. Each numbered interface that is referenced in the figures is described in the following table with a link to detailed information. The below figures are for illustration purposes only and might not reflect the current revision of the BF2500 card. Component Side...
Interface x8 NAND flash Interfaces Detailed Description NVIDIA® BlueField®-2 DPU is a family of advanced DPU IC solutions that integrate a coherent mesh of 64-bit Arm v8 A72 cores, an NVIDIA® ConnectX®-6 Dx network adapter front-end and a PCI Express switch into a single chip. The powerful DPU IC architecture includes an Arm v8 multicore processor array and enables customers to develop sophisticated applications and highly differentiated feature sets.
At the heart BlueField-2, the ConnectX-6 Dx network offload controller with RDMA and RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) technology delivers cutting- edge performance for networking and storage applications such as NVMe over Fabrics. Advanced features include an embedded virtual switch with programmable access lists (ACLs), transport offloads and stateless encaps/decaps of NVGRE, VXLAN, and MPLS overlay protocols. Encryption ...
DDR4 SDRAM On-Board Memory The DPU incorporates 16GB @ 3200MT/s single DDR4 channel, 64bit + 8bit ECC, solder-down memory. NC-SI Management Interface The DPU enables the connection of a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) to a set of Network Interface Controller (NICs) for the purpose of enabling out-of-band remote manageability.
It is prohibited to directly connect any RS-232 cable! Only TTL 3.3V voltage level cables are supported. The USB to UART cable is not used for NC-SI management purposes. USB Interfaces The controllers use a mini-USB Type B connector to load operating system images. 1GbE OOB Management Interface The DPU incorporates a 1GbE RJ45 out-of-band port that allows the network operator to establish trust boundaries in accessing the management function to apply it to network resources.
1GbE OOB Management LEDs Interface There are 2 OOB management LEDs, one green and one amber/yellow. The following table describes LED behavior for DPUs with or with on-board BMC. LED Indications Link Activity Green LED Amber/Yellow LED Link off Link on / No activity Blinking 1 Gb/s link / Activity (RX,TX) Other combinations...
The FHHL P-Series DPUs with x16 PCIe Gen 4 lanes incorporate an external 12V power connection through a 6-pin ATX connector. The DPU includes a special circuitry that provides current balancing between the two power supplies; the 12V from the PCIe x16 standard slot and the 12V from the ATX 6-pin connector.
Pin Description PCI Express Interface The BF2500 Controller Card uses a PCI Express x16 connector (component and print sides) according to the PCI Express 4.0 specifications. The following two tables provide component side pins description and print side pins description. Pin # Signal Name Description Pin #...
PERP15 Output DPU SoC TX Ground PERN15 Output DPU SoC TX PRSNT2# Output x16 PCIe card detection, connected to PRESNT1# Ground RSVD Not connected Power Sequencing The BF2500 Controller Card requires the 12V ATX PCIe power to come up prior or at the same time to the +12V at the PCIe edge connector. NC-SI Management Interface...
External Power Supply Connector (6-pin ATX Connector) The below table provides the External Power Supply pins of the external power supply interfaces on the DPU. For further details, please refer to External PCIe Power Supply Connector. The mechanical pinout of the 6-pin external +12V power connector is shown below. The +12V connector is a GPU power PCIe standard connector. Care should be taken to ensure the power is applied to the correct pins as some 6-pin ATX type connector can have different pinouts.
Hardware Installation Installation and initialization of the BlueField-2 BF2500 DPU Controller require attention to the mechanical, power, and precautions for rack-mounted equipment. Safety Warnings Safety warnings are provided here in the English language. For safety warnings in other languages, refer to the...
Hardware Requirements Unless otherwise specified, NVIDIA products are designed to work in an environmentally controlled data center with low levels of gaseous and dust (particulate) contamination. The operating environment should meet severity level G1 as per ISA 71.04 for gaseous contamination and ISO 14644-1 class 8 for cleanliness level.
Software Requirements • See Operating System under System Requirements section under the Introduction section. • Software Stacks - The BF2500 DPU Controller is shipped with Linux based Operating System burned on it which includes all needed drivers. For more information, please refer to the BlueField-2 Software User Manual. •...
This section provides detailed instructions on how to install your BlueField-2 2500 DPU Controller in a system. The BlueField-2 BF2500 DPU Controller should be installed only in a JBOF System as it functions as a PCIe root-complex (RC) initiating PCIe bus operations. Installing it in a regular host system may damage the card.
Insert the connector into the adapter card. Be careful to insert the connector straight into the cage. Do not apply any torque, up or down, to the connector cage in the adapter card. Verify that the connector locks in place. When installing cables make sure that the latches engage.
USB Interface Cabling Debugging and loading new versions of the operating systems and firmware requires the use of Type A to Type B mini-USB 2.0 Cable. The following figure shows an example of a cable with a USB Type A connector on one end an a mini-USB Type B connector on the other.
BlueField SW ships with the NVIDIA BlueField Controller Cards. BlueField SW is a reference Linux distribution based on the Yocto Poky distribution and extended to include the NVIDIA OFED stack for Arm and a Linux kernel which supports NVMe-oF. This SW distribution is capable of running all customer- based Linux applications seamlessly.
Before installing the preferred OS on the BlueField Controller Card, make sure you install the card only in a JBOF system. Installing it in a host system may damage the card. Software On eMMC The BlueField Controller Card boots off eMMC upon power-up. The image flashed on the eMMC from the factory is the Yocto Linux. Run the following command to discover the BlueField Software version: cat /etc/bluefield_version Yocto Distribution Installation...
shutdown -r now Verify the version via: cat /etc/bluefield_version PXE Server Configuration on Host Side Before installing CentOS 7 on the BlueField Controller Card, you need to configure the PXE server on the host side (x86) to allow the deployment of the CentOS image over the BlueField Controller Card.
Please note that CentOS 7.5 is not supported. • Access to the latest BlueField Controller Card SW bundle: NVIDIA uses box.com to distribute BlueField software. Contact your sales/support representative for a custom link to download BlueField software releases. •...
The “-i” flag points to the OS installation disk. This is the image that is accessed via PXE boot to install the OS on the BlueField Controller Card. • The “-o” flag points to the NVIDIA OFED driver disk for Arm. Download and extract it from http://www.mellanox.com/page/products_dyn? product_family=34.
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To install the kernel modules, please follow the instruction in section RShim Host Driver. To install the kernel modules, please follow the instruction in NVIDIA BlueField DPU Family Software Documentation under BlueField Software Overview > Installation and Initialization > RShim Host Driver. Step 3: Configure TFTP Server The host should be configured to act as a TFTP server to the BlueField Controller Card via the USB RShim network.
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Patch the initrd with the eMMC driver and TMFIFO (RShim network) driver: mkdir -p /tmp/.bfcentos mkdir -p $/tmp/.bfinstdd cd /tmp/.bfcentos xzcat /var/lib/tftpboot/centos/7.4/initrd-orig.img | cpio -idm mount /root/BlueField-1.0.alpha3.10409/distro/rhel/bluefield_dd/bluefield_dd-4.11.0- 22.el7a.aarch64.iso /tmp/.bfinstddmkdir -p usr/lib/modules/4.11.0-22.el7a.aarch64/updates/cp /tmp/.bfinstdd/lib/modules/4.11.0-22.el7a.aarch64/updates/dw_mmc*.ko usr/lib/mod- ules/ 4.11.0-22.el7a.aarch64/updates/cp /tmp/.bfinstdd/lib/modules/4.11.0-22.el7a.aarch64/updates/tmfifo.ko usr/lib/mod- ules/4.11.0-22.el7a.aarch64/ updates/cp /root/BlueField-1.0.alpha3.10409/distro/rhel/bluefield_dd/bluefield_dd-4.11.0- 22.el7a.aarch64.iso ./ bluefield_dd.iso umount /tmp/.bfinstdd;...
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systemctl restart tftp Based on the system, the user may need to use “system TFTP restart” instead. Also, if required, the user might need to switch use “xinetd” instead of “TFTP”. Step 4: Set Up the DHCP Server DHCP server set up on the host is required for BlueField Controller Card to get a private IP from the host for PXE boot process completion. Configure the correct server names and domain names so that the BlueField Controller Card can connect to the network via the host later on.
# Specify the IP address for this client. host pxe_client { hardware ethernet 00:1a:ca:ff:ff:01; fixed-address 192.168.100.2; } EOF It is recommended to back up the previous dhcpd.conf file before overwriting it. Step 5: Set Up the HTTP Server The TFTP server allows the PXE boot to load the initrd and kernel. The BlueField Controller Card obtains all the other required sources through the network, thus, making it necessary to set up an HTTP.
Opening Terminal Connection to BlueField Controller Card To open a console window to the BlueField Controller Card, a terminal application is required. The application “minicom” is used for the flow, however, any standard terminal application can work, e.g. “screen”. Install minicom by running “yum install minicom”...
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[root@bu-lab02 ~]# ls /dev/rshim0/ boot console net rshim The boot device is used to push the bootstream to the BlueField Controller Card. Upon writing to it, it automatically resets the Arm cores so that it is booted using the pushed bootstream. ...
Installing CentOS 7.4 on BlueField Controller Card If the error “no root is found” appears in the installation process, check or disable the firewall as needed on the server host machine. Full PXE Boot Installation Get to the UEFI boot menu. Reboot the BlueField Controller Card by typing “reboot”...
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Navigate to the Boot Manager. UEFI Boot Manager Select EFI Network, it will then use the TFTP service on the host to discover all available PXE boot options. Shortly after, a “..Fetching Netboot Image” message will appear enabling CentOS installation. Option to Install CentOS Select CentOS download.
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These configuration inputs are not needed when the kickstart option “-k” is specified when running the setup.sh script. ====================================================================================== ====================================================================================== VNC Text mode provides a limited set of installation options. It does not offer custom partitioning for full control over the disk layout.
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Europe Pacific 10) Arctic Asia Australia 11) US America 8) Atlantic 12) Etc Africa Indian Antarctica Please select the timezone. Use numbers or type names directly [b to region list, q to quit]: 11 ====================================================================================== ====================================================================================== Timezone settings Available timezones in region US Alaska 4) Eastern...
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[ ] File and Print Server 9) [ ] Development and Creative [ ] Basic Web Server Workstation Please make your choice from above ['q' to quit | 'c' to continue | 'r' to refresh]: 9 ====================================================================================== ====================================================================================== Base environment Software selection ...
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[ ] 3) Use Free Space Installation requires partitioning of your hard drive. Select what space to use for the install target. Please make your choice from above ['q' to quit | 'c' to continue | 'r' to refresh]: c ====================================================================================== ====================================================================================== Partition Scheme Options [ ] 1) Standard Partition [ ] 2) Btrfs...
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====================================================================================== ====================================================================================== Please select new root password. You will have to type it twice. Password: Password (confirm): ====================================================================================== ====================================================================================== Question The password you have provided is weak: The password fails the dictionary check it is based on a dictionary word. Would you like to use it anyway? ...
Non-PXE Boot Installation When the setup script is run with the “-t” option, it generates a nonpxe.bfb file at the directory where the script is run. The directory contains the install kernel and rootfs which are usually loaded by UEFI during the initial PXE boot stage. Thus, if pushing this file, the host TFTP server no longer needs to be used and UEFI would automatically load the install kernel and rootfs from the boot FIFO.
Installing MLNX_OFED on Arm Cores Prerequisite Packages for Installing MLNX_OFED • MLNX_OFED installation requires some prerequisite packages to be installed on the system. Currently, CentOS installed on the BlueField Controller Card has a private network to the host via the USB connection, and it can be used to Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) all the required packages.
yum install rpm-build yum group install "Development Tools" yum install kernel-devel-`uname -r` yum install valgrind-devel libnl3-devel python-devel yum install tcl tk Note that this is not needed if you installed CentOS 7 with the kickstart (“-k”) option. /auto/sw_mc_soc_project/distro/rhel/kernel-devel-4.11.0-22.el7a.aarch64.rpm Removing Pre-installed Kernel Module There are cases where the kernel is shipped with an earlier version of the mlx5_core driver taken from the upstream Linux code.
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mount /root/MLNX_OFED_LINUX-4.2-1.4.8.0-rhel7.4alternate-aarch64.iso /mnt Install MLNX_OFED. If the kernel on the BlueField is 4.11.0-22.el7a.aarch64, run: cd /mnt # ./mlnxofedinstall --bluefield If the kernel is different than 4.11.0-22.el7a.aarch64, run: cd /mnt # ./mlnxofedinstall --add-kernel-support --skip-repo For OFED to support DPDK, use the arguments “--upstream-libs” and “--dpdk”. ./mlnxofedinstall --distro rhel7.4alternate --add-kernel-support --upstream-libs --dpdk This step might take longer than expected to be completed.
Updating BlueField Controller Card Firmware The below commands apply to MBF1M616A-CSNAT. The commands vary per OPN. The below steps demonstrate how to manually update the firmware if the automatic process fails. The firmware image can be found in the BlueField Software package.
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To burn the firmware which comes with OFED after OFED is installed, run: /opt/mellanox/mlnx-fw-updater/firmware/mlxfwmanager_sriov_dis -force Power cycle the BlueField Controller Card for the new firmware to take effect. root@bluefield:~# flint -i /opt/fw-Bluefield-red-18_99_4608_MBF1M6X6A-CSNA_Ax- Flexboot-3.5.404_UEFI-14.15.20.bin -d /dev/mst/mt41682_pciconf0 b Current FW version flash: 18.24.0013 New FW version: 18.99.4608...
Troubleshooting • Reseat the BF2500 Controller Card in its slot or a different slot, if necessary The BF2500 Controller Card no longer works • Try using another cable • Reboot the system • Try removing and re-installing all BF2500 Controller Cards BF2500 Controller Card stopped working after installing another BF2500 card •...
Single-channel with 8 DDR4 8 bit + ECC (64bit + 8bit ECC) 16GB @ 3200MT/s On-board Memory 64GB eMMC memory Voltage: 12V DPU Power Supply Power and airflow specifications are provided in NVIDIA BlueField-2 DPUs Power and Airflow Specifications document, Power Consumption and Air Flow which is available at NVOnline following login.
CE / FCC / VCCI / ICES / RCM RoHS RoHS compliant a. The non-operational storage temperature specifications apply to the product without its package. BlueField-2 BF2500 Mechanical Drawing and Dimensions All dimensions are in millimeters. The PCB mechanical tolerance is +/- 0.13mm.
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Bracket Mechanical Drawing and Dimensions...
Finding the MAC on the Controller Card Each DPU Controller has a different identifier printed on the label: serial number and the card MAC for the Ethernet protocol. The product revisions indicated on the labels in the following figures do not necessarily represent the latest revisions of the cards. Board Label (Example) ...
Thermal Sensors The BlueField-2 BF2500 DPU Controller incorporates the BlueField-2 DPU device which operates in the range of temperatures between 0°C and 105°C. There are three thermal threshold definitions for the BlueField-2 DPU which impact the overall system operation state: •...
Document Revision History Date Comments/Changes May. 2023 Updated Specifications - added non-operational storage temperature specifications Jun. 2021 • Removed OPNs: MBF2H515B-VEEOT, MBF2H515B-VENOT • Multiple text and drawing updates throughout the manual Dec. 2020 • Updated the NCSI interface pinouts. • Removed the UART interface from "Supported Interfaces". •...
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NVIDIA product and may result in additional or different conditions and/or requirements beyond those contained in this document. NVIDIA accepts no liability related to any default, damage, costs, or problem which may be based on or attributable to: (i) the use of the NVIDIA product in any manner that is contrary to this document or (ii) customer product designs.
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INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, HOWEVER CAUSED AND REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF ANY USE OF THIS DOCUMENT, EVEN IF NVIDIA HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Notwithstanding any damages that customer might incur for any reason whatsoever, NVIDIA’s aggregate and cumulative liability towards customer for the products described herein shall be limited in...
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