OpenFabrics Alliance Weaves Its Story at SC09

By Nicole Hemsoth

November 15, 2009

We have developed something of a tradition at HPCwire in the weeks leading up to each year’s SC conference; we interview the chairman of the OpenFabrics Alliance (OFA). We realized five years ago the major impact that OFA’s free, open-source software stack could have on the HPC community, and we want to keep our readers updated on the work being done by OFA as well as the latest enhancements to the OpenFabrics Software stack.

Jim Ryan of Intel has been the OFA’s chair all these years, and our annual interview with Jim was as interesting as ever.

HPCwire: Good to talk with you again this year Jim. OFA members have been part of SCinet each year at SC. I suspect that is to allow exhibitors to show attendees the latest capabilities they’ve developed to leverage OpenFabrics Software on InfiniBand and Ethernet networks. What is being shown this year?

Jim Ryan: For the past four years, SCinet’s OpenFabrics Team has built networks at SC so exhibitors can demonstrate their products and research, including interconnects for servers, clusters, storage and file systems. This year we are setting records with the number of industry participants (18), the highest speed (IB 12X at 120Gbps) and the range of innovative applications that are on display.

OFA is collaborating with the HPC Advisory Council and together we are showing:

— Remote Desktop over InfiniBand (RDI) that enables live desktop sharing at high speeds between tens of participants.
— Direct Transport Compositor (DTC) that provides real-time rendering of a PSA Peugeot Citroen automotive CAD model in 2D/3D.
— New high-bandwidth MPI technology that takes advantage of 120Gbps data rates from a single server.

In addition to these demos, any connected exhibitors can demonstrate interoperability using OpenFabrics Software for Linux or Windows on the same IB network to exploit the full range of RDMA Application Services (R-DMAS). These include all the MPIs (e.g., Open, MVapich, Intel, HP), uDAPL, accelerated IP networking, Sockets using Oracle’s RDS, SRP and iSCSI for block storage, and file systems using any of NFS, Gluster, IBRIX, Lustre, and GPFS.

HPCwire: What else is on tap for OFA at SC09?

Ryan: We’ll be hosting a Birds of a Feather session at 5:30 p.m. on November 18 in Room PB251. At that time, we’ll have a very important announcement to make about a significant new member.

During the session, we’ll also announce the status, features and schedule for the next software releases: OFED 1.5 for Linux and WinOF 2.1 for Windows. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask OFA developers questions about many topics, such as improved routing for IB, routing options in Ethernet for clusters, the status of iWARP, and support in Linux environments for IEEE Datacenter Bridging on 10 Gigabit Ethernet for clustering. We’ll also be talking about our scalability road map, including plans for evolving OpenFabrics to be the interconnect software of choice for ExtremeScale.

On the exhibit floor, OFA is sharing Booth 137 with the InfiniBand Trade Association. There will be live demos and talks by our members as well as a joint presentation with the IBTA at 11:30 a.m. on November 17 at the Exhibitor Forum.

HPCwire: Can you tell our readers how OpenFabrics Software benefits end users?

Ryan: Well, the benefits must be pretty compelling because analysts estimate about 60 percent of all new HPC systems worldwide utilize OpenFabrics Software. We’re also seeing adoption in the enterprise where our software is being used to achieve high-speed server-to-storage communication and to implement unified fabrics on IB and low-latency Ethernet networks.

By linking applications to any of the RDMA services in the OpenFabrics Software, users can be assured they are getting the highest achievable data-transfer rates, the lowest achievable latencies (1 to 3 microseconds) and the most efficient computing (75 to 85 percent server utilization) for a full range of virtualization and enterprise datacenter applications, cloud computing, and simulation/modeling.

As an example, Oracle advertises RAC with IB as delivering a 10X improvement in application speed at half the hardware cost of traditional implementations. That’s made possible by OpenFabrics Software.

Users also gain the freedom of choice over a wide range of operating systems, computer architectures, and network and storage technologies. In each of these dimensions, we are seeing increased support from major vendors such as Dell, HP, IBM and Sun. All offer OpenFabrics Software with appropriate products. They also provide technical support.

HPCwire: Who are some of the members of the OpenFabrics Alliance?

Ryan: The primary network and interconnect vendors include Cisco, Mellanox, QLogic and Voltaire — all of which offer both Ethernet and InfiniBand products. The server vendors include Cray, HP, IBM and Sun. Storage is represented by DDN, LSI and NetApp, and databases by Oracle. Among the smaller members are Endace, System Fabric Works and Xsigo. Large users are represented by the DOE labs — Livermore, Los Alamos and Sandia. And for processors, we have Intel and AMD.

HPCwire: We hear a lot about Ethernet becoming the “converged network” that will be the only interconnect users need. How is OpenFabrics viewing this advocacy from certain vendors and what range of networks or fabrics are you supporting?

Ryan: As you know, InfiniBand has been the basis of our early work. Right from its inception 10 years ago, IB was conceived and architected as a unified fabric for all HPC and datacenter applications. In HPC, this vision is starting to take shape now. What people frequently overlook is that IB is architected in layers — application interfaces at the top, software in the middle and hardware at the bottom. Much of the value in IB is in the software which implements zero copy transfers, RDMA, APIs in the kernel, user space and reliable transports. So when we adopted iWARP a couple of years back that allowed the existing software to be integrated to provide an RDMA capability over Ethernet.

iWARP uses TCP/IP (that’s Layers 4 and 3) and Ethernet (Layer 2) as its underlying transport with the TCP/IP outboard on an adapter. This is excellent for users who need to maintain TCP/IP with store and forward routing of messages within their datacenters. At SC09, you can see iWARP demos at booths hosted by the Ethernet Alliance, Intel, Chelsio and others.

Now some organizations are starting to realize “Ethernet only” is all they need within their datacenters, particularly with the emergence of low-latency cut-through switches and DCB from the IEEE. Within OFA, some members have implemented the software from IB directly on both hardware-accelerated and legacy-Ethernet adapters and chipsets without any TCP or IP. It’s too early to tell right now how this will be accepted by vendors and users, but at SC you’ll be able to see a demo at the Ethernet Alliance booth.

HPCwire: What is OFA currently focused on?

Ryan: Let’s start with HPC. Reliable, efficient, scalable software for IB clusters that have 10 to 100,000 nodes is what our founding DOE Lab members are telling us they need in the next year or two. So that’s a high priority that will be of value to all users of OpenFabrics Software. It will be also become essential as IB speeds up to 40-80-120 gigabits with latencies below 1 microsecond.

I think we can all see in the next couple of years 10 Gigabit Ethernet prices for cluster connections (switch port and adapter/chip) dropping below $1,000. Then we will start to see an enormous percentage of clusters and datacenters migrate from their 1 Gigabit Ethernet networks to 10 gigabits. We believe that’s when RDMA over Ethernet, with or without TCP/IP, will hit its stride and converged or unified fabrics will become de rigeur. In the OFA, we are preparing both our Linux and Windows stacks to be the software of choice for this migration. OpenFabrics Software will be particularly valuable for organizations that need to support both legacy applications and RDMA applications.

Also in coming years, as we embark on extreme scalability in HPC, and virtualization and fabric unification penetrate deeper into datacenters, the OpenFabrics RDMA storage application services will become more important. It will enable traditional fibre channel SAN, iSCSI and NAS protocols to be used on the unified fabric, whether it be Ethernet or InfiniBand.

Jim, thanks for giving HPCwire’s readers such a detailed view into the OFA. You and your members have shown us the value of partnership and collaboration amongst vendors, developers and customers in an open-source community. See you in Portland at SC09 on November 15.

To keep up with the latest news from the OFA, goto www.openfabrics.org or join the OpenFabrics Alliance Facebook group.

Subscribe to HPCwire's Weekly Update!

Be the most informed person in the room! Stay ahead of the tech trends with industry updates delivered to you every week!

Q&A with Nvidia’s Chief of DGX Systems on the DGX-GB200 Rack-scale System

March 27, 2024

Pictures of Nvidia's new flagship mega-server, the DGX GB200, on the GTC show floor got favorable reactions on social media for the sheer amount of computing power it brings to artificial intelligence.  Nvidia's DGX Read more…

Call for Participation in Workshop on Potential NSF CISE Quantum Initiative

March 26, 2024

Editor’s Note: Next month there will be a workshop to discuss what a quantum initiative led by NSF’s Computer, Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorate could entail. The details are posted below in a Ca Read more…

Waseda U. Researchers Reports New Quantum Algorithm for Speeding Optimization

March 25, 2024

Optimization problems cover a wide range of applications and are often cited as good candidates for quantum computing. However, the execution time for constrained combinatorial optimization applications on quantum device Read more…

NVLink: Faster Interconnects and Switches to Help Relieve Data Bottlenecks

March 25, 2024

Nvidia’s new Blackwell architecture may have stolen the show this week at the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California. But an emerging bottleneck at the network layer threatens to make bigger and brawnier pro Read more…

Who is David Blackwell?

March 22, 2024

During GTC24, co-founder and president of NVIDIA Jensen Huang unveiled the Blackwell GPU. This GPU itself is heavily optimized for AI work, boasting 192GB of HBM3E memory as well as the the ability to train 1 trillion pa Read more…

Nvidia Appoints Andy Grant as EMEA Director of Supercomputing, Higher Education, and AI

March 22, 2024

Nvidia recently appointed Andy Grant as Director, Supercomputing, Higher Education, and AI for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). With over 25 years of high-performance computing (HPC) experience, Grant brings a Read more…

Q&A with Nvidia’s Chief of DGX Systems on the DGX-GB200 Rack-scale System

March 27, 2024

Pictures of Nvidia's new flagship mega-server, the DGX GB200, on the GTC show floor got favorable reactions on social media for the sheer amount of computing po Read more…

NVLink: Faster Interconnects and Switches to Help Relieve Data Bottlenecks

March 25, 2024

Nvidia’s new Blackwell architecture may have stolen the show this week at the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California. But an emerging bottleneck at Read more…

Who is David Blackwell?

March 22, 2024

During GTC24, co-founder and president of NVIDIA Jensen Huang unveiled the Blackwell GPU. This GPU itself is heavily optimized for AI work, boasting 192GB of HB Read more…

Nvidia Looks to Accelerate GenAI Adoption with NIM

March 19, 2024

Today at the GPU Technology Conference, Nvidia launched a new offering aimed at helping customers quickly deploy their generative AI applications in a secure, s Read more…

The Generative AI Future Is Now, Nvidia’s Huang Says

March 19, 2024

We are in the early days of a transformative shift in how business gets done thanks to the advent of generative AI, according to Nvidia CEO and cofounder Jensen Read more…

Nvidia’s New Blackwell GPU Can Train AI Models with Trillions of Parameters

March 18, 2024

Nvidia's latest and fastest GPU, codenamed Blackwell, is here and will underpin the company's AI plans this year. The chip offers performance improvements from Read more…

Nvidia Showcases Quantum Cloud, Expanding Quantum Portfolio at GTC24

March 18, 2024

Nvidia’s barrage of quantum news at GTC24 this week includes new products, signature collaborations, and a new Nvidia Quantum Cloud for quantum developers. Wh Read more…

Houston We Have a Solution: Addressing the HPC and Tech Talent Gap

March 15, 2024

Generations of Houstonian teachers, counselors, and parents have either worked in the aerospace industry or know people who do - the prospect of entering the fi Read more…

Alibaba Shuts Down its Quantum Computing Effort

November 30, 2023

In case you missed it, China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba has shut down its quantum computing research effort. It’s not entirely clear what drove the change. Read more…

Nvidia H100: Are 550,000 GPUs Enough for This Year?

August 17, 2023

The GPU Squeeze continues to place a premium on Nvidia H100 GPUs. In a recent Financial Times article, Nvidia reports that it expects to ship 550,000 of its lat Read more…

Shutterstock 1285747942

AMD’s Horsepower-packed MI300X GPU Beats Nvidia’s Upcoming H200

December 7, 2023

AMD and Nvidia are locked in an AI performance battle – much like the gaming GPU performance clash the companies have waged for decades. AMD has claimed it Read more…

DoD Takes a Long View of Quantum Computing

December 19, 2023

Given the large sums tied to expensive weapon systems – think $100-million-plus per F-35 fighter – it’s easy to forget the U.S. Department of Defense is a Read more…

Synopsys Eats Ansys: Does HPC Get Indigestion?

February 8, 2024

Recently, it was announced that Synopsys is buying HPC tool developer Ansys. Started in Pittsburgh, Pa., in 1970 as Swanson Analysis Systems, Inc. (SASI) by John Swanson (and eventually renamed), Ansys serves the CAE (Computer Aided Engineering)/multiphysics engineering simulation market. Read more…

Choosing the Right GPU for LLM Inference and Training

December 11, 2023

Accelerating the training and inference processes of deep learning models is crucial for unleashing their true potential and NVIDIA GPUs have emerged as a game- Read more…

Intel’s Server and PC Chip Development Will Blur After 2025

January 15, 2024

Intel's dealing with much more than chip rivals breathing down its neck; it is simultaneously integrating a bevy of new technologies such as chiplets, artificia Read more…

Baidu Exits Quantum, Closely Following Alibaba’s Earlier Move

January 5, 2024

Reuters reported this week that Baidu, China’s giant e-commerce and services provider, is exiting the quantum computing development arena. Reuters reported � Read more…

Leading Solution Providers

Contributors

Comparing NVIDIA A100 and NVIDIA L40S: Which GPU is Ideal for AI and Graphics-Intensive Workloads?

October 30, 2023

With long lead times for the NVIDIA H100 and A100 GPUs, many organizations are looking at the new NVIDIA L40S GPU, which it’s a new GPU optimized for AI and g Read more…

Shutterstock 1179408610

Google Addresses the Mysteries of Its Hypercomputer 

December 28, 2023

When Google launched its Hypercomputer earlier this month (December 2023), the first reaction was, "Say what?" It turns out that the Hypercomputer is Google's t Read more…

AMD MI3000A

How AMD May Get Across the CUDA Moat

October 5, 2023

When discussing GenAI, the term "GPU" almost always enters the conversation and the topic often moves toward performance and access. Interestingly, the word "GPU" is assumed to mean "Nvidia" products. (As an aside, the popular Nvidia hardware used in GenAI are not technically... Read more…

Shutterstock 1606064203

Meta’s Zuckerberg Puts Its AI Future in the Hands of 600,000 GPUs

January 25, 2024

In under two minutes, Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, laid out the company's AI plans, which included a plan to build an artificial intelligence system with the eq Read more…

Google Introduces ‘Hypercomputer’ to Its AI Infrastructure

December 11, 2023

Google ran out of monikers to describe its new AI system released on December 7. Supercomputer perhaps wasn't an apt description, so it settled on Hypercomputer Read more…

China Is All In on a RISC-V Future

January 8, 2024

The state of RISC-V in China was discussed in a recent report released by the Jamestown Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. The report, entitled "E Read more…

Intel Won’t Have a Xeon Max Chip with New Emerald Rapids CPU

December 14, 2023

As expected, Intel officially announced its 5th generation Xeon server chips codenamed Emerald Rapids at an event in New York City, where the focus was really o Read more…

IBM Quantum Summit: Two New QPUs, Upgraded Qiskit, 10-year Roadmap and More

December 4, 2023

IBM kicks off its annual Quantum Summit today and will announce a broad range of advances including its much-anticipated 1121-qubit Condor QPU, a smaller 133-qu Read more…

  • arrow
  • Click Here for More Headlines
  • arrow
HPCwire