Link^™ SmartNIC Hardware

Product Overview

In a world of reconfigurable computing, it is the software that defines the use case functionality. However, the wrong choice of hardware can severely downgrade the overall value and reliability of the solution.

Napatech Link™ SmartNICs are designed to meet the standards of modern servers, with the rapidly changing world of data center and hyperscale deployments in mind.

Industry-Leading Reliability

When selecting a hardware solution, reliability is of the utmost importance. Software can be patched if faulty, but hardware needs a physical replacement, which is costly and complex.

For all Napatech designs, performance and reliability are unconditional tenets. With ~300,000 hours of mean time between failures (MTBF), our hardware ensures uninterrupted, error-free operation for many years ahead – as validated by our long-term loyal customer base.

Superior Thermal Design

The power of FPGA technology is only of value if it can be harnessed – and that requires cooling. An efficient cooling solution allows you to fit more compute power into your rack space, which translates into substantial TCO benefits.

Napatech Link™ SmartNICs are designed with active and passive cooling. The active solution provides 100% self-contained cooling with no requirements for a specific server airflow. This solution exhales most of the dissipated energy outside the server through front plate cutouts, which gives customers the freedom to choose server designs without worrying about cooling capacity.

To meet telco requirements, the passively cooled solutions are NEBS-compliant. A proprietary full body heatsink has been developed securing optimal cooling performance in the challenging NEBS applications for all critical components in the SmartNIC.

Hardware Resilience

Modern servers have quick-release PCI fastening mechanisms that allow for easy card replacement. Some of these designs, however, expose the card to vibration during transportation. Napatech SmartNICs are designed specifically to ensure hardware resilience in this environment.

Regulatory Compliance

Network appliances often require exceptions and compromises to fit a certain form factor or price point. In complex data center environments, it is therefore extremely beneficial if the hardware adheres to established industry standards, as this will make it easier for customers to integrate it in their solution. As a certified PCI-SIG member, Napatech has completed the meticulous compliance test, which demonstrates our high standards of excellence.

Applications that Benefit

Napatech offers a whole range of FPGA software options for the Link^™ hardware, that address use cases within:

• Network Cybersecurity
• Network Quality of Experience Assurance
• Network & Security Forensics
• Application Performance Management (APM)
• Network Test & Measurement
• Cyber Defense
• vSwitch Acceleration
• Virtual Network Monitoring

[1] On demand
[2] Features depend on software support, please refer to product briefs for Link™ Software
[3] Breakout or QSFP28 to SFP28 adapter
[4] Breakout
[5] The power dissipation values indicate the capabilities of the hardware platform; the actual power consumption is dependent on the FPGA software payload

[1] On demand
[2] Features depend on software support, please refer to product briefs for Link™ Software
[3] Breakout or QSFP28 to SFP28 adapter
[4] Breakout
[5] The power dissipation values indicate the capabilities of the hardware platform; the actual power consumption is dependent on the FPGA software payload