[News] CXL Emerges as a Game-Changer, Storage Giants Become Key Players

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In the era of big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud computing, Compute Express Link (CXL) technology has emerged as a next-generation high-speed interconnect standard. Designed to link CPUs/GPUs, memory, and other components in high-performance computing systems, CXL supports large-scale, ultra-high-speed computing.

CXL offers higher bandwidth, lower latency, and additional features such as memory expansion, cache coherency, and direct memory access, compared to PCIe. In essence, PCIe serves as the foundational technology for CXL, while CXL represents an advanced, transformative evolution of PCIe.

CXL Accelerates Evolution: Version 3.2 Arrives

CXL has undergone continuous development, with multiple versions released, including 1.0/1.1, 2.0, 3.0/3.1, and now 3.2. Since the debut of CXL 1.0 in 2019, the standard has evolved rapidly, with CXL 3.0 introduced in 2022, followed by 3.1 in 2023 and 3.2 in 2024. These advancements demonstrate CXL’s increasing maturity and capability.

Three Protocol Layers: CXL’s “Triple Combo”

CXL integrates three distinct protocol layers: CXL.io, CXL.cache, and CXL.memory. Each serves specific functions and applications within the CXL architecture:

1. CXL.io focuses on traditional I/O capabilities.
2. CXL.cache enables efficient cache management.
3. CXL.memory allows flexible memory pooling and expansion.

The synergy of these protocols makes CXL an essential technology for heterogeneous computing, large-scale data processing, and efficient resource sharing. It holds tremendous potential in data centers, AI acceleration, and high-performance computing.

CXL Takes Off: Storage Giants Compete in a New Frontier

The applications of CXL are expanding rapidly, from high-performance computing and data centers to emerging areas such as AI acceleration, cloud computing, and edge computing. A variety of CXL products are now in deployment.

As CXL technology moves into the mainstream, major players are staking their claims. The CXL Consortium now includes over 200 member companies spanning diverse industries.

CPU leaders like Intel and AMD are heavily involved, driving CXL development from research to product deployment.

Server manufacturers such as Dell EMC, HPE, Huawei, and Inspur are offering robust hardware solutions for CXL’s application in servers.

Memory giants like Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron, and Kioxia are leveraging CXL to innovate and launch new storage products.

Notably, Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron, and Kioxia have established themselves as veteran players in the CXL ecosystem.

Conclusion

Born in response to the challenges of the data explosion, CXL builds an efficient bridge between chips, emerging as a critical link for collaboration in the semiconductor industry. The strategic moves of CXL’s major stakeholders and the active participation of storage manufacturers are fostering a thriving ecosystem, creating a tightly integrated and highly efficient network for the chip industry.

As Micron Technology aptly stated:“CXL is key to overcoming the‘memory wall’in modern computing architectures and will significantly impact DRAM bit growth rates in the future.”

From CXL 1.0 in 2019 to CXL 3.2 in 2024, the technology is poised to reshape the industry with unstoppable momentum.

 

(Photo credit: Samsung)