• HMSDK, SK hynix’s open source memory control solution lauded for its performance, is now available on Linux, the world’s largest open source operating system
• HMSDK optimizes performance between heterogeneous memories, increasing bandwidth by 30% and performance by over 12%
• The company will foster the ecosystem by increasing software competitiveness as well as AI memory such as HBM

Seoul, September 23, 2024

SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that the key features of its Heterogeneous Memory Software Development Kit (HMSDK)¹ are now available on Linux², the world’s largest open source operating system.

¹Heterogeneous Memory Software Development Kit (HMSDK): SK hynix’s software development kit. It enables effective memory control, improving the performance of heterogeneous memory systems such as CXL memory.
²Linux: An operating system developed in 1991 by Linus Torvalds that has since expanded to become the world’s largest open source operating system. Most operating systems for cloud systems and supercomputers, as well as smartphones, cars, and appliances, are built on Linux.

HMSDK is SK hynix’s software for optimizing the operation of Compute Express Link (CXL)³, which is gaining attention as a next-generation AI memory technology along with High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). Having received global recognition for HMSDK’s performance, SK hynix is now integrating it with Linux. This accomplishment marks a significant milestone for the company as it highlights the company’s competitiveness in software, adding to the recognition for its high-performance memory hardware such as HBM.

³Compute Express Link (CXL): A next-generation interface that efficiently connects CPU, GPU, memory, and other components in high-performance computing systems to support massive, ultra-fast computation. By applying CXL to existing memory modules, the capacity can be expanded by more than 10 times.

In the future, developers around the world working on Linux will be able to use SK hynix’s technology as the industry standard for CXL memory, putting the company in an advantageous position for global collaboration on next-generation memory.

SK hynix’s HMSDK enhances memory package’s bandwidth by over 30% without modifying existing applications. It achieves this by selectively allocating memory based on the bandwidth between existing memory and expanded CXL memory. Additionally, the software improves performance by more than 12% over conventional systems through optimization based on access frequency, a feature which relocates frequently accessed data to faster memory.

The semiconductor industry anticipates full commercialization of CXL in the second half of 2024, coinciding with the release of the first server CPUs featuring the “CXL 2.0” specification. In preparation for this, SK hynix is currently validating CXL 2.0 memory in 96 GB and 128 GB capacities with customers. The company plans to begin mass production by the end of the year.

“For the development and spread of AI systems such as large language models (LLMs), it is now necessary to significantly improve not only semiconductors but also the level of system applications to support them,” said Youngpyo Joo, Head of Software Solution at SK hynix. “With this Linux integration and collaboration, we will strive to improve our status as a total AI memory solutions provider by innovating technologies and expanding the ecosystem in this field.”

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top-tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”), flash memory chips (“NAND flash”), and CMOS Image Sensors (“CIS”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The company’s shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

Media Contact

SK hynix Inc.
Global Public Relations

Technical Leader
Sooyeon Lee
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

Technical Leader
Kanga Kong
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com

The post SK hynix Applies CXL Optimization Solution to Linux first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.

SK hynix’s booth at CXL DevCon 2024

SK hynix participated in the first-ever Compute Express Link Consortium Developers Conference (CXL DevCon) held in Santa Clara, California from April 30–May 1. Organized by a group of more than 240 global semiconductor companies known as the CXL Consortium, CXL DevCon 2024 welcomed a majority of the consortium’s members to showcase their latest technologies and research results.

CXL is a technology that unifies the interfaces of different devices in a system such as semiconductor memory, storage, and logic chips. As it can increase system bandwidth and processing capacity, CXL is receiving attention as a key technology for the AI era in which high performance and capacity are essential.

Under the slogan “Memory, The Power of AI,” SK hynix showcased a range of CXL products at the conference that are set to strengthen the company’s leadership in AI memory technology.

CMM-DDR5 increases system bandwidth and capacity

During a performance demonstration, CXL Memory Module-Double Data Rate 5 (CMM-DDR5¹) expanded system bandwidth by up to 50% and capacity by up to 100% compared to systems equipped with only DDR5 DRAM. Additionally, SK hynix emphasized the benefits of a software that supports CMM-DDR5 called the Heterogeneous Memory Software Development Kit (HMSDK)². When equipped in systems with both CMM-DDR5 and standard DRAM modules, HMSDK can significantly enhance a system’s capability by relocating data to the appropriate memory device based on frequency of use.

¹Double Data Rate 5 (DDR5): A server DRAM that effectively handles the increasing demands of larger and more complex data workloads by offering enhanced bandwidth and power efficiency compared to the previous generation, DDR4.
²Heterogeneous Memory Software Development Kit (HMSDK): A software development kit specially designed to support CXL memory, a next-generation memory system based on the CXL open industry standard.

Niagara 2.0 allows multiple hosts to share capacity

SK hynix also displayed Niagara 2.0, a solution that connects multiple CXL memories together to allow numerous hosts such as CPUs and GPUs to optimally share their capacity. This eliminates idle memory usage while reducing power consumption.

Compared with the previous generation Niagara 1.0 which only allowed systems to share capacity with one another, Niagara 2.0 also enables the sharing of data. In turn, this reduces inefficiencies such as redundant data processing and, therefore, improves overall system performance. As a result, these CXL products are expected to be used in AI and high-performance computing (HPC) systems in the future.

Wonha Choi speaking about the present and future of CXL technology

During the presentation session at the conference, SK hynix’s Distinguished Engineer Wonha Choi of the Next-Gen Memory & Storage team gave a talk titled “Enabling CXL Memory Module, Exploring Memory Expansion Use Cases & Beyond”. The presentation covered the background of CXL’s adoption through to the technology’s components, research cases and performance, and anticipated applications in the future.

Following its participation at CXL DevCon 2024, SK hynix plans to strengthen its AI memory leadership by advancing CXL technology for its expanding product lineup.

The post SK hynix Presents CXL Memory Solutions Set to Power the AI Era at CXL DevCon 2024 first appeared on SK hynix Newsroom.