Tag Archives: FPGA

Intel oneAPI Unified Programming Model Overview!

At Supercomputing 2019, Intel unveiled their oneAPI initiative for heterogenous computing, promising to deliver a unified programming experience for developers.

Here is an overview of the Intel oneAPI unified programming model, and what it means for programmers!

 

The Need For Intel oneAPI

The modern computing environment is now a lot less CPU-centric, with the greater adoption of GPUs, FGPAs and custom-built accelerators (like the Alibaba Hanguang 800).

Their different scalar, vector, matrix and spatial architectures require different APIs and code bases, which complicates attempts to utilise a mix of those capabilities.

 

Intel oneAPI For Heterogenous Computing

Intel oneAPI promises to change all that, offering a unified programming model for those different architectures.

It allows developers to create workloads and applications for multiple architectures on their platform of choice, without the need to develop and maintain separate code bases, tools and workflow.

Intel oneAPI comprises of two components – the open industry initiative, and the Intel oneAPI beta toolkit :

oneAPI Initiative

This is a cross-architecture development model based on industry standards, and an open specification, to encourage broader adoption.

Intel oneAPI Beta Toolkit

This beta toolkit offers the Intel oneAPI specification components with direct programming (Data Parallel C++), API-based programming with performance libraries, advanced analysis and debug tools.

Developers can test code and workloads in the Intel DevCloud for oneAPI on multiple Intel architectures.

 

What Processors + Accelerators Are Supported By Intel oneAPI?

The beta Intel oneAPI reference implementation currently supports these Intel platforms :

  • Intel Xeon Scalable processors
  • Intel Core and Atom processors
  • Intel processor graphics (as a proxy for future Intel discrete data centre GPUs)
  • Intel FPGAs (Intel Arria, Stratix)

The oneAPI specification is designed to support a broad range of CPUs and accelerators from multiple vendors. However, it is up to those vendors to create their own oneAPI implementations and optimise them for their own hardware.

 

Are oneAPI Elements Open-Sourced?

Many oneAPI libraries and components are already, or will soon be open sourced.

 

What Companies Are Participating In The oneAPI Initiative?

According to Intel, more than 30 vendors and research organisations support the oneAPI initiative, including CERN openlab, SAP and the University of Cambridge.

Companies that create their own implementation of oneAPI and complete a self-certification process will be allowed to use the oneAPI initiative brand and logo.

 

Available Intel oneAPI Toolkits

At the time of its launch (17 November 2019), here are the toolkits that Intel has made available for developers to download and use :

Intel oneAPI Base Toolkit (Beta)

This foundational kit enables developers of all types to build, test, and deploy performance-driven, data-centric applications across CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs. Comes with :

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  • Intel oneAPI Data Parallel C++ Compiler
  • Intel Distribution for Python
  • Multiple optimized libraries
  • Advanced analysis and debugging tools

Domain Specific oneAPI Toolkits for Specialised Workloads :

  • oneAPI HPC Toolkit (beta) : Deliver fast C++, Fortran, OpenMP, and MPI applications that scale.
  • oneAPI DL Framework Developer Toolkit (beta) : Build deep learning frameworks or customize existing ones.
  • oneAPI IoT Toolkit (beta) : Build high-performing, efficient, reliable solutions that run at the network’s edge.
  • oneAPI Rendering Toolkit (beta) : Create high-performance, high-fidelity visualization applications.

Additional Toolkits, Powered by oneAPI

  • Intel AI Analytics Toolkit (beta) : Speed AI development with tools for DL training, inference, and data analytics.
  • Intel Distribution of OpenVINO Toolkit : Deploy high-performance inference applications from device to cloud.
  • Intel System Bring-Up Toolkit (beta) : Debug and tune systems for power and performance.

You can download all of those toolkits here.

 

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2019 Intel Data-Centric Xeon, Optane-DC + SSD D5 Solutions!

Intel just unveiled their new data-centric solutions – the 2019 Intel Xeon Scalable processors, the Intel Xeon D-1600 processors, as well as the Intel Optane DC and Intel SSD D5 storage solutions.

Here are the details of the newly-announced 2019 Intel data-centric solutions!

 

2019 Intel Data-Centric Xeon Processors

Four 2019 Intel data-centric Xeon processors were announced – the 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, the Intel Xeon Platinum 9200 processor, the Intel Xeon D-1600 processors, and a new Intel Agilex FGPA family.

The 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors boast these key features :

  • Intel Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost) technology which will accelerate AI inference workloads like image-recognition, object-detection and image-segmentation within datacenter, enterprise and intelligent-edge computing environments.
  • Support for Intel Optane DC persistent memory, which delivers up-to 36 TB of system-level memory capacity when combined with traditional DRAM in an eight-socket system. This triples the amount of system memory compared to the first generation Intel Xeon Scalable processor.
  • Several new hardware-enhanced security features, including hardware-based side channel protections.

The Intel Xeon Platinum 9200 is a 56-core, 12 memory channel processor designed to deliver the best possible socket-level performance and industry-leading memory bandwidth for HPC computing, AI applications and high-density infrastructure.

The Intel Xeon D-1600 is a highly-integrated system-on-chip (SoC) designed for dense environments where power and space are limited. This SoC is designed for 5G and edge computing applications.

The Intel Agilex FPGA family of 10 nm FPGA processors are designed for edge computing, networking (5G  / NFV) and datacenter.

 

2019 Intel Data-Centric Storage Solutions

They also announced a range of 2019 Intel data-centric storage solution :

  • Intel Optane DC persistent memory, designed to deliver storage-class memory capacity to the Intel Xeon Scalable platform.
  • Intel Optane SSD DC D4800X (Dual Port) combines the performance of Intel Optane DC SSDs with the data resilience required by mission-critical high-availability enterprise IT applications.  Dual port capability adds redundancy to the data path to deliver continued data access in the event of failures or service operations and upgrades.
  • Intel SSD D5-P4326 (Intel QLC 3D NAND) is an addition to the Intel QLC NAND SSDs for datacenter. Using 64-Layer QLC technology (4 bits/cell), the SSD D5 family offers large affordable storage capacities to read-intensive cloud workloads.

 

2019 Intel Ethernet 800 Series

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Intel also announced the Ethernet 800 Series adapter with Application Device Queues (ADQ) technology.

It boasts port speeds of up to 100 Gbps, which is great for cloud, communications and storage solutions that require high bandwidth.

Its ADQ technology, on the other hand, increases application response time predictability, while reducing application latency and improving throughput.

 

2019 Intel Data-Centric Solutions Availability

The 2nd-Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, the Intel Xeon D-1600 processor, Intel Optane DC persistent memory and Intel SSD D5-P4326 are all in general availability today.

The Intel Ethernet 800 Series adapter is sampling today, with production scheduled for Q3 2019.

The new Intel Agilex FPGA family of 10nm FPGAs will start sampling in the second half of 2019.

Intel expects systems with Intel Xeon Platinum 9200 processors to start shipping in in the first half of 2019 and ramping in the second half of the year.

Availability of the Intel Optane DC SSD D4800X will be disclosed at a later date.

 

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