'NP' family storage optimized VM size series
Applies to: ✔️ Linux VMs ✔️ Windows VMs ✔️ Flexible scale sets ✔️ Uniform scale sets
The 'NP' subfamily of VM size series are one of Azure's storage-optimized VM instances. They're designed for workloads that require high disk throughput and I/O, such as databases, big data applications, and data warehousing. High disk throughput and large local disk storage capacities on L-series VMs support applications and services that benefit from low latency and high sequential read and write speeds. This makes them well suited for handling tasks like large-scale log processing, real-time big data analytics, and scenarios involving large databases that perform frequent disk operations, ensuring efficient performance for storage-heavy applications.
Workloads and use cases
Real-Time Data Processing: NP-family VMs excel in environments where data needs to be processed in real time with minimal latency, such as in financial trading, real-time analytics, and network data processing.
Custom AI and Machine Learning: NP-family VMs are suitable for accelerating AI and machine learning inference tasks, where the FPGA can be programmed to execute specific algorithms sometimes faster than typical CPU or GPU-based solutions.
Genomics and Life Sciences: NP-family VMs can significantly speed up genomic sequencing tasks and other life sciences applications that benefit from custom hardware acceleration.
Video Transcoding and Streaming: FPGAs can be used to accelerate video processing tasks such as transcoding and real-time video streaming, optimizing performance and reducing processing times.
Signal Processing: NP-family VMs are ideal for applications in telecommunications and signal processing where rapid manipulation and analysis of signals are necessary.
Database Acceleration: NP-family VMs can enhance database operations, especially for custom search operations and large-scale database queries, by offloading these tasks to the FPGA.
Series in family
NP-series
The NP-series virtual machines are powered by Xilinx U250 FPGAs for accelerating workloads including machine learning inference, video transcoding, and database search & analytics. NP-series VMs are also powered by Intel Xeon 8171M (Skylake) CPUs with all core turbo clock speed of 3.2 GHz.
| Part | Quantity Count Units |
Specs SKU ID, Performance Units, etc. |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 10 - 40 vCPUs | Intel Xeon 8171M (Skylake) [x86-64] |
| Memory | 168 - 672 GiB | |
| Local Storage | 1 Disk | 736 - 2948 GiB |
| Remote Storage | 8 - 32 Disks | |
| Network | 1 - 4 NICs | 7500 - 30000 Mbps |
| Accelerators | 1 - 4 FPGAs | AMD Alveo U250 FPGA (64GB) |
Previous-generation NP family series
For older sizes, see previous generation sizes.
Other size information
List of all available sizes: Sizes
Pricing Calculator: Pricing Calculator
Information on Disk Types: Disk Types
Next steps
Learn more about how Azure compute units (ACU) can help you compare compute performance across Azure SKUs.
Check out Azure Dedicated Hosts for physical servers able to host one or more virtual machines assigned to one Azure subscription.
Learn how to Monitor Azure virtual machines.