PG-Strom

Upcoming PostgreSQL v9.5 will support custom-scan interface that enables extensions to implement alternative logic to scan and/or join relations, then it shall be executed if these alternative logic is cheaper than built-in paths. PG-Strom is an extension built on top of the custom-scan interface, to process a part of CPU intensive SQL workloads on GPU processors. This feature works transparently from the application perspective; it internally generates native GPU binary and run the executable on GPU devices in asynchronous manner.

GPU has long-standing technology in HPC region, also different characteristics towards usual CPUs. It allocates much larger percentage of semiconductor chip for ALU logic, rather then cache or control units, therefore, it has much higher computing capability around TFLOPS grade on simple/massive numeric calculation, but not good at complicated logic. Recent GPUs mounts multi-hundreds to multi-thousands cores within a chip, thus much higher performance-cost ratio.

PG-Strom intermediates a world of SQL and a world of GPU. It makes great advantage for people in SQL world through the parallel query processing in low cost.

This session introduce the brief design of PG-Strom, background technology (custom-scan interface and GPU/OpenCL), current functionality and future development; focus on technology perspective. We expect audience are interested in data-analysis, OLAP or big-data.