SK Hynix announced on the 19th that, following the unveiling of its first CXL memory sample last August, it has succeeded in developing a Computational Memory Solution (CMS) that integrates computational functions into CXL memory for the first time in the industry.

This solution is expected to be installed on next-generation server platforms, improving not only system performance but also energy efficiency. SK Hynix demonstrated next-generation high-performance computing solutions and customer-centric value by simultaneously unveiling a CMS and a software platform utilizing it at the Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit 2022, which opened on October 18 (local time).

■ Focusing on CXL's scalability, presenting an integrated CMS solution where memory houses computational functions
CXL (Compute eXpress Link), a PCIe-based next-generation interconnect protocol for efficiently building high-performance computing systems, is a new interconnect technology designed to more efficiently integrate and utilize various solutions, such as GPUs and AI accelerators, as well as memory.

The advantage of CXL lies in the 'flexible increase in memory capacity.' This is because the system's memory capacity can be increased by installing memory cards, just like GPUs and SSDs. SK Hynix proactively conducted research and development, focusing on the technical feature that this interconnect technology supports both memory and accelerators.

The CMS developed by SK Hynix combines the advantages of CXL, which allows for the expansion of high-capacity memory, with machine learning and data filtering computation capabilities frequently performed by big data analysis applications.

Park Kyung, Vice President of SK Hynix (Head of Memory System Research), stated, "CXL represents a new opportunity for memory manufacturers. Through the development of this CMS, we demonstrated performance several times faster than dozens of CPU cores performing specific calculations by internalizing computational functions." In addition, they revealed plans for follow-up research and development, stating, "Considering that this is a prototype, further performance improvements are possible, so we are looking into incorporating computational capabilities for other applications as well as big data applications."

■ Convergence of ICT technologies from both companies through synergy R&D projects within SK Group

This project was conducted as a synergy R&D initiative within the SK Group, and software development was carried out simultaneously to ensure that the actual CMS could be used effectively from a customer perspective.

Yang Seung-ji, Head of Vision R&D at SK Telecom, explained the results of the collaboration between the two companies, stating, "While it is generally common for it to take a considerable amount of time to prove the utility of a CMS from a software application perspective, in this case, we were able to significantly shorten that time by jointly carrying out the entire process from the initial stages—from designing the hardware-software integrated structure to development and verification—using SK Telecom's Lightning DB."

SK Telecom has independently developed the In-Memory Data Analytics Platform 'Lightning DB' to efficiently process large volumes of data and has applied it to various commercial services. This platform features a memory-centric design specialized for real-time data processing, possessing high data analysis performance through optimized parallel processing after storing large volumes of data in small units.
Lee Jong-min, Head of Future R&D at SK Telecom and Chairman of the AI Subcommittee under the ICT Committee of the SK SUPEX Council, who oversaw the planning of the synergy R&D project, stated, "This case is significant in that it successfully developed leading technology by integrating the AI and semiconductor capabilities of two affiliates, SK Hynix and SK Telecom." He further revealed future plans, saying, "Going forward, we will continue to provide new technology-based value to customers through synergy among SK affiliates and contribute to the creation of a domestic and international ICT R&D ecosystem."

The CMS developed by SK Hynix was first unveiled at the Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit and is scheduled to be demonstrated at the SK Tech Summit (Korea) in early November. Moving forward, SK Hynix plans to actively pursue research and development and collaboration related to CXL memory that provides added value from a customer perspective.