Sunday, August 16, 2020

IBM's 7nm POWER10 processor optimized for cloud computing

Sunday, August 16, 2020    

IBM unveiled its POWER10 CPU for enterprise hybrid cloud computing.

The IBM POWER10 processor uses a design focused on energy efficiency and performance in a 7nm form factor with an expected improvement of up to 3x greater processor energy efficiency, workload capacity, and container density than the IBM POWER9 processor.

IBM said its POWER10 chip includes breakthrough new security features including, memory inception to improve cloud capacity and delivers faster with 4x additional encryption engines for today’s toughest standards and future encryption standards like quantum-safe cryptography, and new enhancements to container security.

It also features a new technologycalled Memory Inception that brings support for multi-petabyte memory clusters, which will improve cloud capacity and economics for memory-intensive workloads from ISVs like SAP, the SAS Institute, and others as well as large-model AI inference.

New processor core architectures in the IBM POWER10 processor with an embedded Matrix Math Accelerator which is extrapolated to provide 10x, 15x and 20x faster AI inference for FP32, BFloat16 and INT8 calculations per socket respectively than the IBM POWER9 processor to infuse AI into business applications and drive greater insights.

"Enterprise-grade hybrid clouds require a robust on-premises and off-site architecture inclusive of hardware and co-optimized software," said Stephen Leonard, GM of IBM Cognitive Systems. "With IBM POWER10 we've designed the premier processor for enterprise hybrid cloud, delivering the performance and security that clients expect from IBM. With our stated goal of making Red Hat OpenShift the default choice for hybrid cloud, IBM POWER10 brings hardware-based capacity and security enhancements for containers to the IT infrastructure level."

The company notes that IBM POWER10 is its first commercialized processor built using 7nm process technology. IBM Research has been partnering with Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. on research and development for more than a decade, including demonstration of the semiconductor industry's first 7nm test chips through IBM's Research Alliance.