Knights Corner/Knights Ferry

It seems that I haven't blogged in some while. This week may well change things. ...


In any case, first to Intel and Knight's Corner/Knight's Ferry

Whatever the name and various people are using various names*, the KC processor, an implementation of what Intel are calling the MIC (Many Integrated Core) architecture looks to one more step down the many-core route for Intel and in-line with the aims of Intel;'s Terascale computing project. The Knights family is set to be a line of products according to Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of Intel's Data Center Group.

Announced at ISC in Hamburg, Intel have now shown 80-core and 48-core processors before this; for neither of which they were prepared to give production dates at the time. Indeed they aren't doing so with KC either, nor are they saying exactly how many cores it will carry ("more than 50" according to sources). The processors will be implemented in 22 nm technology. Aubrey Isle is the codename of the silicon included the 'Knights Ferry' that forms the basis of Knight's Ferry (it isn't clear whether or not this is the same technology as that in Knight's Ferry - I suspect not)

 Intel Aubrey Isle processor die image

The MIC architecture itself shows a lot of similarities to the Larrabee architecture, so it appears clear where that has led. So not all of Larrabee has gone west. In fact it also owes quite a bit to Intel's 48 core Single-Chip Cloud Computer that was shown last year.

 Intel MIC (Many Integrated Core) architecture

In a real sense it is the convergence of the two. It is very much an HPC beast though at present. CERN Have been trialling one and they were quoted as saying that they were:

"... able to migrate a complex C++ parallel benchmark to the Intel MIC software development platform in just a few days...The familiar hardware programming model allowed us to get the software running much faster than expected."

Interestingly MIC is described as "An Intel Co-processor Architecture" with many, many more threads.

How long before we see the technology in "every home"? Well, not tomorrow, BUT bear in mind that performance levels even demanded by those who don't have to solve QCD or String Theory problems is rising inexorably. If we assume that Moore's law allows doubling at the usual rate, then assuming that we will see 12 or 16 cores this year then we are only two doublings off 50-core (or more :-) ) processors. That, it must be borne in mind is in theory at least, well within the reach of present technologies.

As a footnote, Intel are positioning many-core for the moment as follows: " Think multi-core technology is all about parallel processing? Think again. You can use multiple logical cores to consolidate platforms, provide longer life to legacy applications, reduce power consumption, increase overall system performance, combine a GUI and RTOS, and share system I/O resources". Not really best use, but...


* Strictly it would appear from the slides of the talk (http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20100531comp.htm) Ferry is the dev kit with "only" 32 cores and sits in something looking like a standard graphics coprocessor module.