Introduction
As enterprises demand higher availability, lower latency, and better cost efficiency from their infrastructure, traditional redundancy architectures are being re-evaluated. Non-Transparent Bridge (NTB) provides a more efficient approach by enabling direct, high-speed communication between independent server nodes over PCIe. By leveraging NTB, AEWIN helps customers simplify high-availability (HA) architectures, reduce system complexity, and deliver reliable redundancy with an optimized total cost of ownership (TCO).

What Is NTB and Why It Matters in HA Systems
Non-Transparent Bridge is a PCIe-based interconnect technology that links two independent compute nodes while maintaining logical isolation between their memory spaces and system resources. Each node operates as a standalone system with its own operating system, while NTB enables PCIe-based write-mirroring and transferring data at high speeds via PCIe for synchronization and failover events. This architecture is widely adopted in dual-node high-availability storage systems with features and advantages listed below.

– High-Speed, Low-Latency Inter-Node Communication
By operating directly over PCIe, NTB enables data transfer at significantly lower latency than network-based communication. On modern platforms, inter-node data transform at PCIe Gen5 speeds (32Gb/s) or PCIe Gen4 speeds (16Gb/s) for efficient write mirroring and real-time synchronization between storage controllers. This level of performance is essential to sustain balanced data flow across high-speed front-end networks and NVMe-based back-end storage.

– Efficient Redundancy and Fast Failover
NTB enables redundant storage controllers to coordinate state and replicate critical data while remaining fully isolated. In the event of one node failure, the other system can take over seamlessly without dependency on external networking paths. This design is commonly used in mission-critical storage environments where service continuity and data consistency are paramount.

– TCO Optimization Through Simplified Architecture
Traditional HA designs often require additional Ethernet switches to support replication traffic and state synchronization. CPU featuring NTB can be leveraged to accomplish high-speed data transformation via PCIe for efficient and reliable redundancy. Fewer components reduce hardware cost, power consumption, and deployment complexity, resulting in an optimized total cost of ownership for enterprise and edge deployments.

AEWIN’s Approach to NTB-Enabled Systems
NTB is supported across leading server processors. The latest Intel Xeon6 Granite Rapids-SP R1S supports NTB at speeds up to PCIe Gen5 to enable flexible link configurations and high-throughput replication between storage controllers. Similarly, AMD Embedded EPYC processors integrate NTB as part of their resiliency features, allowing two CPUs to exchange data via PCIe in active-active configurations for redundancy and failover capabilities. These capabilities are widely adopted in enterprise storage and networking systems for continuous operation under failure conditions.

AEWIN leverage the advantage of NTB to design the latest 2U 2-Node high-availability storage server, the MIS-5131. It is a practical example of how NTB can be implemented to enable efficient redundancy with optimized TCO. As AEWIN provides tailored servers and network appliances, both Intel and AMD platforms can be built per customer’s requirements while focusing on system-level optimization and streamlined redundancy for real-world deployments.

Summary
Non-Transparent Bridge provides an efficient way to enable high availability by empowering direct PCIe-based communication between independent nodes. With benefits of low-latency synchronization and reduced hardware cost, NTB allows enterprises to build resilient storage and server systems while optimizing TCO. Through NTB-enabled platforms such as the MIS-5131, AEWIN demonstrates its capability to deliver cost-efficient, high-availability solutions tailored to modern infrastructure demands.