Cell/B.E. technology-based software

These are some of the frequently asked questions regarding IBM Software Development Kit (SDK) for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0. For questions that aren’t addressed here, contact us.

	What is IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
	What is the major difference between the old versions of the SDK and this new version?
	What are the newly introduced features of IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
	What application areas are ideal for using IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
	What operating systems are supported for IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
	What is the support plan for IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration?
	What are the benefits of using IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
	What is the price of IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
	How do I order IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
	Is IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0, supported on IBM BladeCenter QS20 technology?

Question: What is IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
Answer: Version 3.0 is the first production-level, generally available and supported SDK on Cell/B.E. and follow-on technology. It is a reliable and easy-to-use development tool kit with warranty and support. IBM Software Development Kit (SDK) for Multicore Acceleration contains several base libraries that allow partitioning of your applications. It has debugging tools, performance-tuning tools and an integrated development environment that run on an enterprise-level Linux® operating system. It supports plug-ins for third-party ISV libraries, enabling the software ecosystem to integrate and grow.

Question: What is the major difference between the old versions of the SDK and this new version (IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0)?
Answer: The old versions of the IBM SDK were beta versions available on IBM alphaWorks. IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0, is the first IBM generally available and supported SDK on Cell/B.E. and follow-on technology. IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0, is customer ready and ideal to use in a production and development environment on Cell/B.E. technology. IBM provides full technical support for this product. In addition, there are major new features introduced since the previous beta versions were released.

Question: What are the newly introduced features of IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
Answer: IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0, is aligned with the distribution of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Version 5.1, and it has the following new components:

• An Eclipse-based Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for building, compiling and debugging applications leveraging the compilers, programming-model frameworks and analysis tools of the SDK.
• Development libraries and frameworks:
• Accelerated Library Framework (ALF) – provides a programming environment for data- and task-parallel applications and libraries. Developers can use our provided framework to offload the computationally intensive work to the accelerators.
• Data Communication and Synchronization (DaCS) library – provides a set of services that ease the development of applications and application frameworks in a heterogeneous multi-tiered (or memory hierarchy) system.
• Basic Linear Algebra Subroutines (BLAS) – a widely used API for commonly used linear algebra operations in high-performance computing (HPC) and other scientific domains. It is often used as the basis for other high-quality linear algebra software.
• Standardized SIMD math libraries – used for the system processing unit (SPU) and for the Vector and SIMD Multimedia Extension of the POWER Processing Element (PPE).
• Performance tools, including:
• FDPR-Pro – a tool to gather information for feedback-directed optimization
• Performance Debugging Tool (PDT) – provides the means to analyze the execution of Cell/B.E. technology–based applications and to track problems in order to optimize performance
• Example source code containing samples, libraries, workloads and prototype code.
• XL C/C++ Advanced Edition for Linux, Version 9, compiler (available separately from the SDK)

Question: What application areas are ideal for using IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
Answer: Applications that gain performance by becoming parallel (being accelerated by Cell/B.E. technology) can benefit greatly from the IBM SDK. These applications can be found in medical imaging, healthcare and life sciences, electronic design automation (EDA), aerospace and defense, petroleum, financial markets, digital video surveillance, digital media and other areas.

Question: What operating systems are supported for IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
Answer: Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Version 5.1, is the supported operating system.

Question: What is the support plan for IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration?
Answer: SDK for Multicore Acceleration is supported through IBM’s normal software support channel. A detailed IBM Software Support Handbook is available. Clients can also contact IBM support.

Question: What are the benefits of using IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
Answer: SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0, enables clients to achieve significant performance improvements using IBM BladeCenter® QS21 technology. It has performance–tuning tools that help software developers optimize algorithms and gain application performance without rewriting (or porting) their entire applications. The SDK is a complete tools package that makes programming on IBM BladeCenter QS21 easier than other comparable technology.

Question: What is the price of IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
Answer: Please contact your sales representative to get detailed pricing.

Question: How do I order IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0?
Answer: You can use the IBM Passport Advantage® tool to buy IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0. Find out your buying options. For more information, visit the IBM Passport Advantage Web page.

Question: Is IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0, supported on IBM BladeCenter QS20 technology?
Answer: No. IBM SDK for Multicore Acceleration, Version 3.0, is supported on IBM BladeCenter QS21 technology running Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Version 5.1. No other configuration is supported.