AMD Publishes Open-Source GIM Driver For GPU Virtualization, Radeon 'In The Roadmap'

AMD has open-sourced its "GPU-IOV Module" for enabling SR-IOV-based virtualization on Instinct accelerators using the Linux kernel and KVM hypervisor, with features like GPU scheduling and VF/PF management. Notably, AMD plans to extend this virtualization support to client Radeon GPUs. Phoronix reports: The AMD GPU-IOV Module is for the Linux kernel and for providing SR-IOV based hardware virtualization in conjunction with the KVM hypervisor. GIM provides the GPU IOV virtualization, virtual function (VF) configuration and enablement, GPU scheduling for world switch, hang detection and FLR reset, and PF/VF handshake capabilities. Initially the AMD GIM driver is for the Instinct MI300X hardware and tested atop Ubuntu 22.04 LTS with ROCm 6.4. Those interested can find the AMD GIM code currently via GitHub. It's not laid out in the repository or any other public communications I've seen what any upstreaming plans are for this GIM driver to get it into the mainline Linux kernel.

Radeon

[drinkypoo]

Notably, AMD plans to extend this virtualization support to client Radeon GPUs

This alone would get me to buy AMD on my next GPU upgrade, even if their support for LLMs didn't improve by then, which it probably will. NVidia paywalls this feature even on their professional cards, and doesn't offer it at all for geforce. They could of course change their mind on that, but they almost certainly won't, since they're charging for it now. I've been using their CPUs happily ever since the K7, and slightly less happily since the K6 ;)

Software support is not the issue

[CommunityMember]

Software support for SR-IOV on dCPUs that advertises support is not, exactly, new. The C-levels will decide if it is ever available on any actual shipping consumer dGPUs (and their revenue stream targets suggests it is not going to happen).