Usage Scenarios for Byte-Addressable Persistent Memory inHigh-Performance and Data Intensive Computing

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of byte-addressable persistent memory (B-APM), specifically Intel's DCPMM, for enhancing performance and flexibility in high-performance and data-intensive computing environments.

Contribution

It provides usage scenarios, configuration guidance, and decision trees for integrating B-APM into HPC and data-intensive applications, highlighting its disruptive potential.

Findings

B-APM offers significant performance improvements.

Configuration decision trees aid optimal deployment.

Technology enables broader application support on homogeneous hardware.

Abstract

Byte-addressable persistent memory (B-APM) presents a new opportunity to bridge the performance gap between main memory and storage. In this paper, we present the usage scenarios for this new technology, based on the capabilities of Intel's DCPMM. We outline some of the basic performance characteristics of DCPMM, and explain how it can be configured and used to address the needs of memory and I/O intensive applications in the HPC and data intensive domains. Two decision trees are presented to advise on the configuration options for B-APM; their use is illustrated with two examples. We show that the flexibility of the technology has the potential to be truly disruptive, not only because of the performance improvements it can deliver, but also because it allows systems to cater for wider range of applications on homogeneous hardware.