AI Data Centers for Higher Education Solution Brief

AI/ML training is a massive parallel processing problem requiring the world’s most sophisticated data center networks to handle demanding AI cluster workloads.

With high bandwidth, long-lived “elephant” flows and unpredictable traffic patterns, AI clusters challenge traditional data center designs. New rail-optimized data center architectures are required to optimize AI performance, but the learning curve can be steep, resulting in time and cost delays.

Comprised of frontend, backend, and storage networks, the performance and efficiency of AI training and inferencing clusters relies on low latency, lossless networking fabrics to optimize expensive graphics processing unit (GPU) compute. Using open, AI-optimized Ethernet fabrics across your entire AI data center deployment builds on existing IT expertise to optimize AI delivery without compromising choice and flexibility. Designed for performance and scale, Ethernet is now the premier networking technology of choice for AI data centers, delivering the lowest JCT and the fastest inferencing response times.

Deploying AI data centers can be complex, but higher education IT teams don’t have to do it alone. Juniper has invested in AI technology to drive innovation while simplifying the path to AI. Using a multivendor architecture of GPU compute, advanced storage platforms, and rail-optimized Juniper Ethernet fabrics of QFX Series switches, PTX Series routers, and Juniper Apstra data center automation, Juniper’s Ops4AI Lab is open to enterprises to qualify custom AI cluster designs prior to deployment. Using both open source and Bring Your Own Models (BYOM), the AI Innovation Lab is there to help customers eliminate uncertainty.

Juniper’s Ops4AI Lab is also the engine that drives our Juniper Validated Design (JVD) pipeline of pre-validated, multivendor AI data centers. Through JVDs, enterprises can mix and match supported compute and storage infrastructures with Juniper’s advanced AI data center designs to eliminate guesswork and simplify what is often a complex design and deployment. Using Apstra data center automation, enterprises can design blueprints to be used for custom deployments or use Juniper’s Terraform provider to download GitLab hosted AI blueprints for backend compute, backend storage, and frontend management.

Apstra, Juniper’s data center automation solution, enables operators to automate the entire data center network life cycle across multivendor environments from design to ongoing operations. Apstra provides continuous validation, a single source of truth, powerful analytics, and rapid root cause identification and remediation

This industry-leading line of switches delivers superior throughput and scalability, a comprehensive routing stack, the open programmability of Junos^® OS, and the broadest set of EVPN-VXLAN and IP fabric capabilities

PTX Series routers form the foundation of the world’s largest core and WAN architectures. Powered by the latest generation of the Express family ASICs, the routers are cloud-optimized to enable smooth 800GbE migrations. They simultaneously deliver the scale, flexibility, and investment protection needed to meet today’s market needs

Marvis is the first and only AI-Native VNA for the data center, delivering the best insight throughout the entire data center life cycle across any vendor’s hardware. In addition, Marvis provides end-to-end visibility and assurance across all enterprise domains, from campus and branch to data center

This unified, end-to-end network operating system provides reliability, agility, and open programmability for successful cloud-scale deployments

Juniper’s AI data center network follows an industry-standard dedicated IP fabric design. Three distinct fabrics (backend, frontend, and storage) provide maximum efficiency while maintaining focus on AI model scale, expedited completion times, and rapid evolution with the advent of AI technologies. Configurations are given along with optimal hardware. In all, the best platforms are detailed in terms of features, performance, and the roles that are specified in this JVD. The AI JVD design enables operators to orchestrate a training cluster systematically without a need for in-depth prerequisite knowledge of the required products and technology.

Juniper Networks believes that connectivity is not the same as experiencing a great connection. Juniper’s AI-Native Networking Platform is built from the ground up to leverage AI to deliver exceptional, highly secure, and sustainable user experiences from the edge to the data center and cloud. Additional information can be found at Juniper Networks (www.juniper.net) or connect with Juniper on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and Facebook.

To learn more about Juniper education solutions, visit www.juniper.net/us/en/solutions/education.html