
The Azure NC A100 is a powerful tool for accelerating AI applications, thanks to its 80 GB of HBM2 memory and 1.6 TB of GPU memory. This makes it an ideal choice for deep learning workloads.
With up to 120 TFLOPS of double-precision floating-point performance, the Azure NC A100 can handle complex AI computations with ease. This level of performance is crucial for applications that require rapid processing of large datasets.
The Azure NC A100 is also highly scalable, allowing you to scale up or down to meet the needs of your project. This flexibility makes it an attractive option for organizations with varying AI workloads.
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Hardware and Specifications
Azure NC A100 is a powerful machine that can be scaled to meet different needs. It's available in various sizes, each with its own set of specifications.
The processor is a key component, and in Azure NC A100, it's based on the AMD EPYC 7V13 (Milan) processor, which is x86-64 compatible. This processor can be scaled from 24 to 96 virtual CPUs (vCPUs).
Memory is also crucial, and Azure NC A100 offers a range of memory options, from 220 to 880 GiB. Local storage is provided through a combination of a temporary disk and one to four NVMe disks, with a capacity of 64 to 256 GiB for the temporary disk and 960 GiB for the NVMe disks.
For remote storage, Azure NC A100 offers eight to 32 disks, with IOPS ranging from 30,000 to 120,000 and bandwidth ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 MBps. Networking is also scalable, with two to eight NICs and bandwidth ranging from 20,000 to 80,000 Mbps.
Accelerators are also available, with one to four Nvidia PCIe A100 GPUs, each with 80 GB of memory. This provides a significant boost to computational power and memory capacity.
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Feature Support
The Azure NC A100 offers a range of feature support that's worth noting.
Premium Storage is supported, making it a great option for large-scale deployments.
You can also take advantage of Premium Storage caching for improved performance.
Live Migration is not supported, so you'll need to plan your resource allocation carefully.
Memory Preserving Updates are also not supported, which means you'll need to plan for downtime during updates.
Generation 2 VMs are supported, giving you more flexibility in your virtualization setup.
Generation 1 VMs, on the other hand, are not supported.
Accelerated Networking is supported, which can significantly boost your network performance.
Ephemeral OS Disk is supported, making it easier to manage your operating system resources.
Nested Virtualization is not supported, so you'll need to plan your virtualization architecture accordingly.
Here's a quick rundown of the supported features:
- Premium Storage
- Premium Storage caching
- Generation 2 VMs
- Accelerated Networking
- Ephemeral OS Disk
Resources and Guides
If you're looking to get started with Azure NC A100, you can find more information on the Microsoft website.
The Azure NC A100 is a high-performance computing instance that's designed to handle complex workloads. It's powered by NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core GPUs and 8TB of memory.
You can also check out the official Azure documentation for a detailed guide on how to use the NC A100.
Learn More
The NC A100 v4 series is currently available in the South Central US, East US, and Southeast Asia Azure regions. You can sign up for the preview of the NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core PCIe GPU in the Azure NC A100 v4-series to get started.
The Azure NC A100 v4-series is a high-performance computing (HPC) solution that's perfect for complex workloads. You can find out more about HPC in Azure to learn how it can benefit your business.
You can access the Microsoft documentation for NC A100 v4-series VM for detailed information on how to use this powerful tool. This will give you a comprehensive understanding of the features and capabilities of the NC A100 v4-series.
To get the most out of your NC A100 v4-series VM, you should consider using Azure HPC optimized OS images. These images are specifically designed to work seamlessly with the NC A100 v4-series and can help you achieve optimal performance.
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Here are some additional resources to help you get started with the NC A100 v4-series:
- Sign up for the preview of the NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core PCIe GPU
- Performance of NC A100 v4-series
- Find out more about high-performance computing (HPC) in Azure
- Microsoft documentation for NC A100 v4-series VM
- Azure HPC optimized OS images
- Azure GPU virtual machines
Storage Resources
Azure managed disks are a great option for storing data, and they come in different types. You can share an Azure managed disk with others, making it a convenient choice for collaborative projects.
Azure managed disks support different sizes, and each size has its own storage capacity and throughput. For example, the Standard_NC24ads_A100_v4 size supports up to 8 remote storage disks, with an uncached disk IOPS of 30,000 and an uncached disk speed of 1,000 MBps.
The size of your Azure managed disk is measured in GiB, which can be confusing if you're used to seeing storage capacity in GB. Keep in mind that 1023 GiB is equivalent to 1,098.4 GB.
Azure managed disks also support bursting, which allows you to temporarily increase disk performance for up to 30 minutes at a time.
Here are some key facts about Azure managed disks:
- Storage capacity is shown in units of GiB or 1024^3 bytes.
- Uncached disk IOPS and speed vary by size.
- Some sizes support bursting to temporarily increase disk performance.
- Storage capacity and throughput are measured in GiB and MBps, respectively.
Networking Resources
Networking resources can be a bit tricky to navigate, but don't worry, I've got you covered.
When selecting the right virtual machine type for your application, it's essential to consider the expected network bandwidth. This is the maximum aggregated bandwidth allocated per VM type across all NICs, for all destinations.
Actual network performance will depend on several factors, including network congestion, application loads, and network settings. To achieve the expected network performance on Linux or Windows, you may need to select a specific version or optimize your VM.
Here's a quick rundown of some virtual machine network bandwidth options:
Keep in mind that upper limits aren't guaranteed, and actual network performance will depend on several factors.
Success Stories and Use Cases
Companies are creating value with NVIDIA on Azure, as seen in the NVIDIA on Azure Success Stories.
Many organizations are leveraging the power of NVIDIA on Azure to create innovative solutions.
Learn how a wide range of companies are creating value with NVIDIA on Azure.
Explore Success Stories
Companies like NVIDIA are teaming up with Azure to create value for their customers. This collaboration is a great example of how technology can be used to drive innovation and success.
A wide range of companies are leveraging NVIDIA on Azure to create value. These companies include many that you might have heard of.
By using NVIDIA on Azure, companies can tap into the power of AI and machine learning to solve complex problems and improve their operations. This can lead to significant cost savings and increased efficiency.
You can learn more about these success stories by visiting the NVIDIA on Azure website. They have a wealth of information and case studies that can help you get started with your own project.
Accelerate Production
Companies can deploy the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software suite on Azure to build data science pipelines and AI applications. This enables them to accelerate production and improve efficiency.
NVIDIA AI Enterprise on Azure allows businesses to build, deploy, and manage AI applications at scale. This is particularly useful for companies that need to process large amounts of data quickly.
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With NVIDIA AI Enterprise on Azure, businesses can accelerate production by leveraging the power of AI. This can be applied to various industries, including healthcare, finance, and manufacturing.
By deploying NVIDIA AI Enterprise on Azure, companies can improve their data science pipelines and AI applications. This can lead to better decision-making and increased productivity.
Take a look at this: Ms Azure Ai
Sources
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-nc-a100-v4-vms-for-ai-now-generally-available/
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/accelerate-your-ai-applications-with-azure-nc-a100-v4-virtual-machines/
- https://learn.microsoft.com/bg-bg/azure/virtual-machines/nc-a100-v4-series
- https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/gpu-cloud-computing/microsoft-azure/
- https://getnerdio.com/resources/azure-vms-series-b-d-e-and-n-explained/
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