SK hynix Inc. has announced 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.

Primarily, HMSDK is SK hynix’s proprietary software for optimizing the operation of Compute Express Link (CXL)³. Specifically, CXL 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. This adds to the recognition for its high-performance memory hardware such as HBM.

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. This will put the company in an advantageous position for global collaboration on next-generation memory.

Mainly, 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. Specifically, this feature relocates frequently accessed data to faster memory.

The semiconductor industry anticipates full commercialization of CXL in the second half of 2024. It coincides with the release of the first server CPUs featuring the “CXL 2.0” specification. In preparation for this, SK hynix is currently validating CXL2.0 memory in 96GB and 128GB 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.”

¹Heterogeneous Memory Software Development Kit (HMSDK): SK hynix’s proprietary 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.

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.

-23 September 2024-