Intel Unveils Intel Xeon Scalable Processors, Bringing Next-Generation Business and Consumer Experiences to Life

Intel launched its new Intel Xeon Scalable processors, providing businesses with enough performance to handle compute-hungry tasks, including real-time analytics, virtualized infrastructure and high-performance computing.

Intel Xeon Scalable processors provide businesses with one of the richest suite of platform feature innovations that deliver significant performance increases across key workloads. According to the press release, these include:

• Artificial Intelligence: Delivers 2.2x higher deep learning training and inference compared to the previous generation, and 113x deep learning performance 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.

• Performance: The Intel Xeon Scalable processors deliver an overall performance increase up to 1.65x2 versus the previous generation, and up to 5x19 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.

• 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.

   

   

Foundation for Next-Generation Data Centers and Communications Networks
Intel also introduced Intel Select Solutions, a solutions brand aimed at simplifying and speeding the deployment of data center and network infrastructure, with initial solutions delivery on Canonical Ubuntu, Microsoft SQL 16 and VMware vSAN 6.6. Intel Select Solutions is an expansion of the company’s investment in Intel Builders ecosystem collaborations and will deliver a choice of Intel-verified configurations to the market, reportedly enabling customers to speed return on investment in Intel Xeon Scalable processor-based infrastructure for user-prioritized workloads.

Keywords: Scalable Processors, Cloud Computing, High-Performance Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Real-Time Analytics, Virtualized Infrastructure, ARC Advisory Group.