Intel has released a patch that includes the source code for a small software that interacts with the company’s Software-Defined Silicon (SDSi) driver. Although the sample code does not offer any additional information on the endeavour, the fact that Intel is providing it now could signal that the technology will be released sooner rather than later.
According to Phoronix, the “sdsi-sample” code is simply a short user-space program that serves as an interface between the user and the SDSI driver. With an Authentication Key Certificate (AKC) and Capability Activation Payload (CAP) license, the driver grants access to the Intel Software Defined Silicon interface in the CPU, allowing silicon features to be enabled.
The application, which Intel is making available this month, can choose a specific CPU socket, extract data from the SDS registers, and pass AKC and CAP keys to the driver, which will take care of the rest.
Intel’s code does not offer any new information regarding the Software-Defined Silicon technology. However, because Intel is making it public now, the driver may be released soon, indicating that Intel is planning to enable SDSi on its next 4th Generation Xeon Scalable ‘Sapphire Rapids’ processor.
Intel Software Defined Silicon (SDS) is a means for enabling extra silicon characteristics in server CPUs that have already been manufactured and deployed. Intel will be able to meet the immediate needs of its customers (or rather end users) by providing CPUs in the configurations they require at the time, while also leaving the door open for future software upgrades via SDSI if a client requires additional features or simply wants to repurpose a server.
Customers will almost certainly not go to AMD if they require additional capability, and will instead pay Intel for its technology.
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