The high-performance non-volatile memory express (NVMe) protocol is designed to enable access to storage devices at speeds comparable to flash memory. Traditionally, NVMe operates over PCIe® connections, which offer excellent performance but are limited by physical proximity. Extending NVMe over TCP/IP enables the use of standard Ethernet networks, allowing storage and compute resources to be distributed across different locations while maintaining low latency and high throughput.
Storage disaggregation is a critical strategy in modern data centers, enabling the decoupling of storage resources from compute resources. This separation allows for more efficient resource utilization and scalability, which are essential as organizations handle increasingly demanding workloads. One significant advantage of NVMe over TCP is its seamless integration with existing data center TCP/IP networks. Unlike NVMe over RDMA, which often requires specific infrastructure modifications, NVMe over TCP leverages the ubiquitous TCP/IP protocol, minimizing the need for additional setup or changes to the network architecture. This makes it an attractive solution for organizations looking to implement storage disaggregation without major overhauls to their existing infrastructure.