Linux Kernel Prepares For Intel Xeon CPUs With On-Package HBM Memory

Last year Intel's updated ISA extensions reference guide was updated with references to Xeon "Sapphire Rapids" having High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) given new HBM-related error codes. Now it's even more clear there are Xeon CPUs coming to market with onboard HBM memory as Intel has begun submitting Linux kernel driver changes.

The i20nm EDAC driver for error detection and correction reporting has been extended for supporting future Xeon CPUs with onboard HBM memory.

The patches do spell out quite clearly, "On package memory is coming (in the future)...A future Xeon processor will include in-package HBM (high bandwidth memory). The in-package HBM memory controller shares the same architecture with the regular DDR memory controller. Add the HBM memory controller devices for EDAC support."

So far all indications are that on-package HBM memory will be found in select Xeon Sapphire Rapids SKUs.

Along with the on-package HBM memory support, this EDAC patch series also includes adding Ice Lake Neural Network Processor for Deep Learning Inference (ICL-NNPI) support to the igen6_edac driver as well as Tiger Lake SoC support for the memory controller and in-band ECC to this driver as well.

Given the timing of these Intel EDAC patches, they will likely be merged for the Linux 5.14 kernel in a few weeks.