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OCP Storage

OCP Storage is a family of Open Compute Project (OCP) hardware specifications and reference designs for data center storage platforms, covering drive form factors, storage enclosures, and storage-focused server platforms for hyperscale and enterprise deployments (data center infrastructure).

  • Open hardware specifications and reference designs for storage servers and JBOD/JBOF enclosures (data center storage hardware).
  • Standardized storage form factors such as Open Rack and related OCP-compliant drive bays and trays (rack-scale infrastructure).
  • Designs targeted at hyperscale, cloud, and large enterprise environments, focusing on serviceability and efficiency (hyperscale Data Center Operations (DCO)).
  • Ecosystem for multiple vendors to build interoperable, OCP-compliant storage platforms and components (multi-vendor interoperability).
  • Integration with broader OCP data center designs, including racks, power, and compute platforms (integrated data center architecture).

More About OCP Storage

OCP Storage refers to the set of storage-focused hardware specifications, design contributions, and reference platforms developed and maintained under the Open Compute Project (OCP) for use in large-scale data centers. The project addresses storage infrastructure design for operators that run hyperscale, cloud, and enterprise workloads, with an emphasis on standardized, open, and serviceable hardware suitable for rack-scale deployments (data center storage hardware).

Within the OCP ecosystem, storage workstreams focus on servers and enclosures that host hard disk drives (HDD), solid-state drives (SSD), or Non-volatile Memory Express (NVME) devices, along with the associated mechanics, power, and connectivity. OCP storage designs commonly align with OCP rack standards, such as Open Rack, so that storage systems integrate mechanically and electrically with other OCP-compliant compute and networking systems (rack-scale infrastructure). Designs typically cover chassis layouts, drive carriers, backplanes, management interfaces, and cabling approaches, allowing manufacturers to produce interoperable systems that conform to OCP specifications (multi-vendor interoperability).

For enterprise and cloud operators, OCP Storage provides a framework to deploy dense storage servers, JBOD (Just a Bunch Of Disks), or JBOF (Just a Bunch Of Flash) enclosures that can be integrated into existing storage software stacks such as object storage, block storage, or distributed file systems (data center storage hardware). The focus is on hardware design; software layers are typically supplied by the operator or independent software vendors. Because designs are published under OCP, enterprises can evaluate schematics, mechanical drawings, and bill-of-material guidelines to align procurement and operations with standardized platforms (infrastructure standardization).

OCP Storage also fits into broader OCP data center architecture, which includes projects for racks, power distribution, compute, and networking. Storage platforms designed to OCP standards can share power infrastructure, management practices, and service procedures across facilities (integrated data center architecture). This alignment can simplify lifecycle management, spare parts strategies, and hardware qualification for organizations operating multiple data centers or deploying at scale.

In technical directories, OCP Storage is categorized under open hardware specifications for data center storage platforms, with relevance to rack-scale design, storage server architecture, and multi-vendor interoperability. It is used by hardware vendors that build OCP-compliant systems and by operators that adopt open hardware to support cloud services, big data, backup, archiving, and similar storage-heavy workloads (data center storage hardware).