A server system includes a first plurality of mass-storage devices, a central processing unit (CPU), and at least one near data processing (NDP) engine. The CPU is coupled to the first plurality of the mass-storage devices, such as solid-state drive (SSD) devices, and the at least one NDP engine is associated with a second plurality of the mass-storage devices and interposed between the CPU and the second plurality of the mass-storage devices associated with the NDP engine. The second plurality of the mass-storage devices is less than or equal to the first plurality of the mass-storage devices. A number of NDP engines may be based on a minimum bandwidth of a bandwidth associated with the CPU, a bandwidth associated with a network, a bandwidth associated with the communication fabric and a bandwidth associated with all NDP engines divided by a bandwidth associated with a single NDP engine.