Today Intel launched its new Intel Xeon Scalable processors, providing businesses with breakthrough performance to handle compute-hungry tasks including real-time analytics, virtualized infrastructure and high-performance computing. Today’s launch marks the greatest set of data center and network processor advancements in a decade.
“This platform represents a significant leap forward in the performance and efficiency of cutting-edge HPC systems,” writes Intel’s Trish Damkroger. “An innovative approach to platform design in the Intel Xeon Scalable platform unlocks performance for a broad range of HPC systems — from the smallest clusters all the way to the world’s largest supercomputers.”
In another gain for HPC users, the Intel Xeon processor Scalable family incorporates a new generation of Intel Advanced Vector Extensions called Intel AVX-512. With up to double the flops per clock cycle compared to the previous-generation Intel AVX2, the new Intel AVX-512 boosts performance for demanding computational workloads in applications such as modeling and simulation, data analytics, machine learning, and visualization.
The Intel Xeon Scalable processors deliver an overall performance increase up to 1.65×2 versus the previous generation, and up to 5×19 OLTP warehouse workloads versus the current install base—accelerating today’s modern-day workloads including modeling and simulation, machine learning, HPC and digital content creation. These significant performance gains are enabled through new features such as Intel Advanced Vector Extensions 512 (Intel AVX-512), which boost performance of computationally intensive tasks, a new Intel Mesh Architecture for reduced system latency, Intel QuickAssist Technology for hardware acceleration of cryptography and data compression operations and integrated high-speed fabric with Intel Omni-Path Architecture for cost-effective deployment of HPC clusters.
Trish Damkroeger, Intel
In yet another notable step forward, the new Intel Xeon Scalable platform includes processors that integrate Intel Omni-Path Architecture (Intel OPA). Intel OPA provides 100Gbps bandwidth with low latency for HPC clusters. With this integration, users can take advantage of a fabric built for HPC without consuming I/O ports and slots, freeing those up for other platform uses.
Beyond the processor, the Intel Xeon Scalable platform supports next-generation PCIe-based Intel Optane solid state drives. Built with revolutionary 3D XPoint memory media, these SSDs are the first products to combine the attributes of memory and storage. With an industry-leading combination of high throughput, low latency, high quality of service, and ultra-high endurance, this innovative storage solution is optimized to break through data access bottlenecks by providing a new data storage tier for your HPC workloads.
Intel Xeon Scalable processors also provide businesses with the richest suite of platform feature innovations that deliver significant performance increases across key workloads. These include:
- Artificial Intelligence: Delivers 2.2x higher deep learning training and inference3 compared to the previous generation, and 113x deep learning performance3 gains compared to a 3-year-old non-optimized server system when combined with software optimizations speeding delivery of AI-fueled services.
- Networking: Delivers up to 2.5x increased IPSec forwarding rate22 for key networking applications compared to previous generation when using Intel QuickAssist and DPDK increasing the value derived from network transformation.
- Virtualization: Operates up to an estimated 4.2x more virtual machines13 (VMs) versus a 4-year-old system for rapid service deployment, server utilization, lower energy costs and space efficiency spurring enterprise data center modernization.
- High Performance Computing: Provides up to a 2x FLOPs/clock improvement1 with Intel AVX-512 as well as integrated Intel Omni-Path Architecture ports, delivering improved compute capability, I/O flexibility and memory bandwidth to accelerate discovery and innovation.
- Storage: Processes up to 5x more IOPS11 while reducing latency by up to 70 percent11 versus out-of-the-box NVMe SSDs when combined with Intel® Optane™ SSDs and Storage
- Performance Development Kit (SPDK), making data more accessible for advanced analytics.
The Intel Xeon Scalable processor features a new core microarchitecture, new on-die interconnects and memory controllers. The resulting platform optimizes performance as well as the reliability, security and manageability necessary in data centers and networking infrastructure.
Scalability: Optimized to meet the wide range of performance demands in data centers and communications networks, the Intel Xeon Scalable processors offer up to 28 cores and up to 6 terabytes of system memory (4-socket systems), and scale to support 2-socket through 8-socket systems and beyond, powering entry-level workloads to the most mission-critical applications.
Agility: Compute, network and storage performance and software ecosystem optimizations of the Intel Xeon Scalable processors make it ideal for software defined, TCO (total cost of ownership)-optimized, data centers that dynamically self-provision resources — on premise, through the network, and in the cloud — based on workload needs.
Security without Compromise: Data protection through full encryption has long carried a significant performance overhead. Application can now run with less than 1 percent16 overhead with data-at-rest encryption turned on. The new Intel Xeon Scalable processor also delivers a 3.1x performance18 improvement generation-over-generation in cryptography performance.
Intel has extended processor security features with Intel Key Protection Technology delivering enhanced protection to security key attacks. In addition Intel Xeon Scalable is designed to secure the platform with further advancements in hardware root of trust.
Uniquely architected to help customers accelerate the deployment of cloud infrastructure, transform communications networks and unleash artificial intelligence, the Intel Xeon Scalable platform is supported by 100s of ecosystem of partners, more than 480 Intel builders and more than 7,000 software vendors to drive software optimizations that take advantage of the platform.
