At Supercomputing 2016 Intel shared a number of updates regarding its Knights Landing generation of processors and their adoption. The company also confirmed some details of its new co-processor form factor as well as Knights Mill, its next-generation Xeon Phi due in 2017.
Intel Knights Landing did capture two of the Top500 spots but only nine new systems. That is not a massive number of new systems but it is a solid showing. Intel touts over 50 large installations in progress.
In the near future we do expect to see Intel Xeon Phi co-processor become available in the next few months. We are hearing there is interest in KNL addon cards for organizations that prefer larger Xeon cores as their main CPU.
Intel also confirmed 2017 will see Knights Mill. Knights Mill will have features such as Omni-Path and a renewed focus on AI applications.
AI has so much hardware spend behind it that Intel is fully embracing the trend and is addressing it with FPGAs as well as many core CPUs.
Here is the Intel Xeon Phi update from Intel’s SC16 release:
Intel Xeon Phi processor 7210, 7230, 7250 and 7290 are now shipping broadly and processors with integrated Intel OPA are on track to ship broadly this month.
· More than 50 HPC designs on Intel Xeon Phi processors are in progress across the industry.
· The latest Intel Xeon Phi processor was selected for nine new systems on the Top500, including two systems in the Top 10, with the Cori system ranking fifth and Oakforest-PAC system ranking sixth. Additionally, Intel was the prime contractor supporting the Collaboration of Oak Ridge, Argonne and Lawrence Livermore (CORAL) in a Top 20 system, the Theta system which will help to advance U.S. leadership in scientific research.
· The Developer Access Program for Intel Xeon Phi processor-based platforms continues to gain traction as Intel expands worldwide to include collaborations in Japan, Korea, Europe and the U.S.
· The Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor will be available in early 2017.
