DPUDevice

The DPUDevice is a Kubernetes CRD that represents a physical DPU (Data Processing Unit) device that was discovered. The DPUDevice contain all the information required to identify and provision the DPU by the DPU Controller.

Overview

The DPUDevice resource serves as an inventory and management interface for physical DPU devices. It contains device-specific information such as serial numbers, product identifiers, BMC (Base Management Controller) details, and PCI addresses. The DPUDevice is can be created automatically through discovery processes or manually by administrators.

DPUDevice Specification

DPUDeviceSpec

The spec section defines the desired configuration for the DPU device:

DPUDeviceStatus

The status section contains the observed state of the DPU device:

Conditions

The DPUDevice resource uses several condition types to track its state:

• DpuDeviceDiscovered: Indicates that the DPU has been discovered

• DpuDeviceNodeAttached: Indicates that the DPU is attached to a node

• DpuDeviceInitialized: Indicates that the DPU interface has been initialized

• DpuDeviceError: Indicates that the DPUDevice has an error

• DpuDeviceReady: Indicates that the DPUDevice is ready for use

Example Usage

Basic DPUDevice Creation

Determine the serial number of the DPUDevice. In zero-trust mode, serial number will be discovered from the BMC. In trusted mode, run: lspci -vvs ${pci_address} | grep "SN".

---
apiVersion: provisioning.dpu.nvidia.com/v1alpha1
kind: DPUDevice
metadata:
  name: MT25066004C7
  namespace: dpf-operator-system
spec:
  serialNumber: "MT25066004C7"
  bmcIp: "10.1.2.3"
  numberOfPFs: 1
  pf0Name: "eth0"

Lifecycle Management

Creation

DPUDevice resources are typically created through: * Automatic Discovery: * Zero-Trust: Via DPUDiscovery controller scanning IP ranges * Host-Trusted: Via dpudetector daemon on host nodes * Manual Creation: By administrators with known device details * DPU Detection: Via dpudetector daemon on host nodes

Firmware Update: - In zero-trust mode, BMC firmware will be updated to the latest version.

Updates

Most fields in DPUDevice are immutable once set. Only the following can be updated: - Labels and annotations - Status fields (managed by controllers)

Deletion

DPUDevice resources are protected by a finalizer (provisioning.dpu.nvidia.com/dpudevice-protection) to prevent accidental deletion while the device is in use.

Integration with Other Resources

DPUNode

DPUDevice resources are referenced by DPUNode resources through the dpus field by their serial numbers:

apiVersion: provisioning.dpu.nvidia.com/v1alpha1
kind: DPUNode
metadata:
  name: dpu-node-001
spec:
  dpus:
  - name: MT25066004C7
  - name: MT25066004C8

DPU

DPU resources reference DPUDevice resources through the dpuDeviceName field:

apiVersion: provisioning.dpu.nvidia.com/v1alpha1
kind: DPU
metadata:
  name: dpu-001
spec:
  dpuDeviceName: MT25066004C7
  dpuNodeName: dpu-node-001
  # ... other fields

Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Checking Device Status

# Get all DPUDevice resources
kubectl get dpudevices -n dpf-operator-system

# Get detailed information about a specific device
kubectl describe dpudevice MT25066004C7 -n dpf-operator-system

# Check device conditions
kubectl get dpudevice MT25066004C7 -n dpf-operator-system -o jsonpath='{.status.conditions}'

Common Issues

• Device Not Discovered when in Zero Trust setup: Check if the device is reachable via BMC IP

• Invalid Serial Number: Ensure the serial number matches the required pattern

• BMC Connection Issues: Verify BMC IP and port configuration

• PCI Address Not Found: Check if the device is properly installed in the host

Status Conditions

Monitor the following conditions for device health:

# Check if device is ready
kubectl get dpudevice MT25066004C7 -n dpf-operator-system -o jsonpath='{.status.conditions[?(@.type=="DpuDeviceReady")].status}'

# Check for errors
kubectl get dpudevice MT25066004C7 -n dpf-operator-system -o jsonpath='{.status.conditions[?(@.type=="DpuDeviceError")]}'

Related Resources

• DPUNode - Node-level DPU management

• DPUDiscovery - Automatic DPU discovery

• DPU - DPU provisioning and deployment

• DPUSet - Bulk DPU management

Last updated: June 10, 2026