THE INFRASTRUCTURE STACK
Start with the workload.
Connect every layer.
A practical framework for discussing enterprise compute requirements before choosing hardware or a deployment model.
01 / COMPUTE
CPU, accelerated and high-performance systems
General-purpose processors support many application and data workloads. Accelerators can suit highly parallel tasks, but the right choice depends on software compatibility, memory requirements and measured workload performance. A GPU count alone is not a capacity plan.
Define the demand
Record latency targets, concurrent users, batch windows, memory footprint, model size and growth assumptions.
Validate the system
Benchmark representative data and software. Include host CPUs, RAM, interconnects and storage in the test environment.
02 / DATA & NETWORKS
Feed the system. Protect the information.
Data preparation, storage throughput and network contention can limit the useful output of expensive compute. Consider where data is created, where it can legally be processed and how it will be moved and protected.
Storage & data
Separate capacity from throughput, latency, retention, recovery objectives and access controls. Document the characteristics of the workload rather than a single headline number.
Connectivity
Describe traffic between systems and sites. Test bandwidth and latency requirements, redundancy, congestion and the management network.
03 / POWER & OPERATIONS
Make the facility part of the plan.
Electrical capacity, cooling design, physical space and serviceability are project inputs. Annual energy and peak electrical demand answer different questions: both need attention.
Energy & cooling
Use measured average power for energy estimates. Use validated design loads for power and cooling engineering. PUE describes total facility energy divided by IT energy over the same boundary and period.
Control & resilience
Include identity, monitoring, patching, backup recovery, incident response and named operational ownership. Define what happens when a component or site becomes unavailable.
This framework is educational. The planner does not replace electrical, thermal, network or capacity engineering.
Model a starting scenario →