A data processing unit is a programmable networking accelerator that offloads infrastructure tasks, such as networking, storage virtualization, and security, from the server CPU onto its own cores and hardware engines. Built around a SmartNIC with an on-board processor, it frees host CPUs for tenant workloads and isolates infrastructure from the guest. In cloud data centers DPUs underpin bare-metal provisioning and zero-trust east-west security.
Category: IT & Compute Infrastructure · Subcategory: Servers & Racks · Part of the AIDC Technical Terminology reference.