About DPU and the DPU Operator

A Data Processing Unit (DPU) is a type of programmable processor that is considered one of the three fundamental pillars of computing, alongside CPUs and GPUs. While CPUs handle general computing tasks and GPUs accelerate specific workloads, the primary role of the DPU is to offload and accelerate data-centric workloads, such as networking, storage, and security functions.

DPUs are typically used in data centers and cloud environments to improve performance, reduce latency, and enhance security by offloading these tasks from the CPU. DPUs can also be used to create a more efficient and flexible infrastructure by enabling the deployment of specialized workloads closer to the data source.

The DPU Operator is responsible for managing the DPU devices and network attachments. The DPU Operator deploys the DPU daemon onto OKD compute nodes that interface through an API controlling the DPU daemon running on the DPU. The DPU Operator is responsible for the life-cycle management of the ovn-kube components and the necessary host network initialization on the DPU.

The currently supported DPU device is described in the following table.