AI Storage Appliance — Datafabrix Solutions

OVERVIEW

A pre-validated AI storage tier, delivered as an appliance.

For enterprises deploying their first AI storage tier, an appliance is a faster path than a reference design. All the parts, pre-validated. All the management, integrated. All the pain, removed.

The Datafabrix AI Storage Appliance combines our Gen4 Fabric Backplane, high-density NVMe capacity, dual-controller architecture, and native DCIM integration into a single SKU.

Built on PCIe Gen4 Fabric Backplane Shipping today

ARCHITECTURE

Solution block diagram.

The block diagram captures the read/write path of the pre-validated AI Storage Appliance. Training/inference clients issue NVMe-oF or S3 requests over the front-end network; the storage OS translates them into fabric-attached NVMe operations across the internal PCIe Gen4 backplane. A tightly-coupled controller node handles metadata, RAID/erasure coding, deduplication, and QoS. The result: a single namespace exposed as a turnkey AI storage tier — no assembly, no bring-up, no compatibility matrix to chase.

DEPLOYMENT TOPOLOGY

Connection diagram.

The connection diagram lays out the appliance in a customer rack. Two 100 GbE ports connect to the AI-fabric leaf switch for east-west client traffic. A 25 GbE port bonds to a second leaf for HA. Management/BMC lands on a dedicated 1 GbE port. A+B power feeds and redundant PSUs eliminate single-point failures. Internal PCIe cabling between the controller and NVMe chassis is factory-installed and validated — installers only route the four external cables shown on the diagram.

INTERFACE DETAILS

Interfaces & connectivity.

Interface	Details
Client protocols	NFS · S3 · RDMA (RoCE)
Controllers	Dual Xeon-based active-active
Storage fabric	PCIe Gen4 backplane
Capacity	24× NVMe Gen4
Management	Datafabrix DCIM Platform (native)
HA	Dual PSU · dual controller · MPIO

HOW IT WORKS

Detailed description.

An AI storage appliance is where AI workloads meet enterprise storage discipline. It must speak the protocols AI stacks expect (NFS for datasets, S3 for object caches, RDMA for high-bandwidth training reads) while providing enterprise features: HA, monitoring, snapshotting, quotas.

The Datafabrix AI Storage Appliance runs on a dual-Xeon controller pair — our Xeon Server Card — with active-active storage services. Behind the controllers, the Gen4 Fabric Backplane provides PCIe switch fabric to 24 NVMe drives.

Every appliance is discovered natively by the Datafabrix DCIM Platform. Rack visualisation, health, capacity, firmware, alerts — all in one console. No agents. No plug-ins. Just standard PCIe topology plus Redfish.

Applications

AI training data plane — Serve training datasets to multiple GPU clusters.
Inference feature stores — Low-latency retrieval for online AI services.
Enterprise AI workspaces — Shared storage for data scientists.
Backup targets — Fast target for AI-workload backups and archives.

USE CASES

Where this solution shines.

First AI deployment

Enterprises adding AI to their datacenter without becoming storage vendors.

Multi-tenant AI service

Cloud providers offering managed AI with predictable storage SLAs.

Research clusters

Universities and labs consolidating research data on one appliance.

SPEC HIGHLIGHTS

Technical specifications.

Category	Specification
Form factor	2U appliance
Controllers	Dual Intel Xeon (active-active)
Fabric	PCIe Gen4 non-blocking backplane
Drives	24× NVMe Gen4
Client protocols	NFS · S3 · RDMA
Management	Datafabrix DCIM (native)
HA	Dual PSU · dual controller

TARGET INDUSTRIES

Who deploys this solution.

Enterprise ITAI DatacentersCloud AIResearchOEM Storage

HOW TO DEPLOY · DF-S05

Deploying AI Storage Appliance in your infrastructure.

Where it fits in the rack, how it connects, and what you get after installation.

AI Storage Appliance — provisioned in a customer rack.

Deployment illustration · Ai Storage Appliance · DF-S05

RACK-LEVEL ARCHITECTURE

Where DF-S05 sits in your rack.

Turnkey 2U enterprise storage appliance combining DF-B4 backplane + DF-X Xeon controller + StorageOS. The solution slots into a standard 19-inch rack alongside your existing servers, storage, and network fabric — no re-architecture required.

Target deployments: Enterprise teams that want a pre-integrated AI-ready storage box, not parts.

Cabling: standard PCIe host adapter → PCIe cable → DF-S05 chassis
Power: standard C13/C14 rack PDU, 1+1 redundant PSU option
Management: 10 GbE + IPMI/BMC out-of-band + Datafabrix DCIM integration
Cooling: fits standard rack thermal envelope, no liquid cooling required

01

Install in rack

Slide the DF-S05 chassis into a standard 19-inch rack slot. Rail kit included. Cable to your PDU and management network.

02

Connect PCIe host

Install the Datafabrix PCIe host adapter in your existing server. Connect via PCIe cable to the DF-S05 backplane uplink.

03

Populate the fabric

Insert NVMe drives, GPUs, or accelerators into hot-plug slots. Each device trains and appears as a native PCIe endpoint on the host.

04

Manage & scale

Optional: connect to Datafabrix DCIM for fleet-wide visibility. Add more chassis for horizontal scale — no host reconfiguration.

🎯

Enterprise IT drop-in

Direct rack integration alongside your existing production servers. Turnkey in a single deployment window.

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Departmental AI workloads

Scale from a single chassis pilot to full-rack production with zero architectural change.

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Edge inference caches

OEM-ready configuration for organizations building their own branded infrastructure products.

Ready to design a rack around it?

Engineering pilots, reference designs, and OEM co-design programs — we work with your team from concept to production.

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