Fujitsu Launches Next Generation Quantum-Inspired Digital Annealer Service

December 21, 2018

TOKYO, Dec 21, 2018 — Fujitsu has announced the Japanese launch of the second generation of its Fujitsu Quantum-Inspired Computing Digital Annealer Cloud Service. The service utilizes Fujitsu’s unique Digital Annealer architecture to quickly solve combinatorial optimization problems, drawing on an innovative design inspired by quantum phenomena. The second generation of the service expands the scale of problems that can be solved from the 1,024 bits of the first generation, launched in May 2018, to 8,192 bits, leading to substantial gains in precision and performance for enhanced problem-solving and new applications. Fujitsu plans to roll out the service to North America and Europe during fiscal 2018 (Fujitsu’s fiscal year ends March 31), and thereafter to the rest of Asia as well. The second generation service can be applied to increasingly complex real-world problems in businesses and society, including manufacturing, financial services, retail and distribution as well as drug discovery, and can be expected to see use in various industries and fields.

Digital Annealer On-Premises server

Fujitsu will offer the Fujitsu Quantum-inspired Computing Digital Annealer as an On-Premises Service starting in February 2019. With the new service, servers supporting the second generation of Digital Annealer technology can be installed in customer datacenters.

The Digital Annealer is a core technology developed to accelerate digital innovation. With advanced technological capabilities refined through developing supercomputers, an abundant track record of systems integration, and engineers with expertise in such areas as consulting, systems engineering, and research and development, Fujitsu maintains its commitment to promote transformative technological innovations. Delivering the Digital Annealer solution to businesses in order to solve complex, large scale problems, Fujitsu is able to contribute to the evolution of customer operations and potentially new customer business models.

Background

Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. developed the Digital Annealer as a dedicated architecture for solving combinatorial optimization problems, which involve finding optimal solutions for real-world problems in which large numbers of potential combinations exist. In May of this year, Fujitsu Limited launched a cloud-based service using this architecture to solve problems of a scale that could be expressed in up to 1,024 bits. As it was necessary to improve the scale and precision of the technology in order to handle larger scale, more complex problems, Fujitsu developed the next generation Digital Annealing Unit (DAU), a dedicated processor for the Digital Annealer that makes use of ultra-high-density circuit integration technology refined through the development of high-performance processors. This breakthrough development has expanded the scale of the number of connections between bits from the current 1,024 to up to 8,192, and the coupling precision from 16 bits of gradation to a maximum of 64 bits, for 18.45 quintillion gradations. These enhanced performance specifications allow for the application of this technology to solve even larger scale problems – previously unsolvable, while also dramatically improving processing performance by a factor of 100 compared with the existing first generation of the Digital Annealer. With the next generation service, the Digital Annealer technology can be applied to more complex problems, including the optimization of production lines for entire factory floors, or drug discovery focused on intermediate-sized molecules.

Features of the Service

Digital Annealing Unit (DAU)

Customers will be able to use the second generation (maximum of 8,192 bits) Digital Annealer via the internet with Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer Cloud Service, as well as the Digital Annealer On-Premises Service, through which servers are installed in customer datacenters for onsite usage.

1. Provides world-class scale and precision with full bit intercoupling

The Digital Annealer employs a fully coupled design that can handle the strength of all couplings between bits, and owing to that all 8,192 bit values are fully coupled and mutually interconnected. Moreover, because the strength of the coupling between bits can be expressed in detail with up to 64 bits, providing 18.45 quintillion gradations, the Digital Annealer can solve even large-scale, complex problems that cannot be solved by current Ising machines or quantum annealing machines.

2. Stable operations due to digital circuitry

The Digital Annealer employs digital circuitry in its design, and as a result operates stably at room temperature without specialized cooling equipment, and results will not be significantly impacted by noise.

3. Automatic tuning mode option available

Previously, applying the Digital Annealer to combinatorial optimization problems demanded expert knowledge and hours of work in order to determine control parameters most, appropriate for the problem. Now, by incorporating technology to automatically adjust control parameters based on results observed during the computation process, Fujitsu has created an automatic tuning function. This will enable customers to get solutions without adjusting Digital Annealer control parameters themselves.

Future Plans

Going forward, Fujitsu aims to provide support for even larger scale combinatorial optimization problems of up to 1 million bits through technologies like the problem segmentation technology(1) developed by Fujitsu Laboratories, thereby contributing to new business applications in a wide variety of fields, such as drug discovery, chemistry, transportation, finance, and logistics. In addition, Fujitsu plans to expand the use of the Digital Annealer in various regions, under the lead of Fujitsu Intelligence Technology, a new company developing Fujitsu’s global AI business that began operations in Vancouver, Canada, in November 2018.

Pricing and Availability
http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_FujitsuPricingAvailability122118.jpg

Sales Target
Fujitsu aims for sales of 100 billion yen in the five years leading up to fiscal 2022.

(1) Problem segmentation technology Enables Digital Annealer technology to be applied to large-scale problems by using a method that finds the optimal solution by repeatedly extracting essential portions of the problem, based on the problem’s characteristics, processing them with the Digital Annealer, and then returning the results to the overall problem. Fujitsu Technology to Solve Combinatorial Optimization Problems for Medium-Sized Drug Discovery (press release, September 18, 2018)

About Fujitsu Ltd

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 140,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.1 trillion yen (US $39 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018.

Subscribe to HPCwire's Weekly Update!

Be the most informed person in the room! Stay ahead of the tech trends with industry updates delivered to you every week!

Q&A with Nvidia’s Chief of DGX Systems on the DGX-GB200 Rack-scale System

March 27, 2024

Pictures of Nvidia's new flagship mega-server, the DGX GB200, on the GTC show floor got favorable reactions on social media for the sheer amount of computing power it brings to artificial intelligence.  Nvidia's DGX Read more…

Call for Participation in Workshop on Potential NSF CISE Quantum Initiative

March 26, 2024

Editor’s Note: Next month there will be a workshop to discuss what a quantum initiative led by NSF’s Computer, Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorate could entail. The details are posted below in a Ca Read more…

Waseda U. Researchers Reports New Quantum Algorithm for Speeding Optimization

March 25, 2024

Optimization problems cover a wide range of applications and are often cited as good candidates for quantum computing. However, the execution time for constrained combinatorial optimization applications on quantum device Read more…

NVLink: Faster Interconnects and Switches to Help Relieve Data Bottlenecks

March 25, 2024

Nvidia’s new Blackwell architecture may have stolen the show this week at the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California. But an emerging bottleneck at the network layer threatens to make bigger and brawnier pro Read more…

Who is David Blackwell?

March 22, 2024

During GTC24, co-founder and president of NVIDIA Jensen Huang unveiled the Blackwell GPU. This GPU itself is heavily optimized for AI work, boasting 192GB of HBM3E memory as well as the the ability to train 1 trillion pa Read more…

Nvidia Appoints Andy Grant as EMEA Director of Supercomputing, Higher Education, and AI

March 22, 2024

Nvidia recently appointed Andy Grant as Director, Supercomputing, Higher Education, and AI for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). With over 25 years of high-performance computing (HPC) experience, Grant brings a Read more…

Q&A with Nvidia’s Chief of DGX Systems on the DGX-GB200 Rack-scale System

March 27, 2024

Pictures of Nvidia's new flagship mega-server, the DGX GB200, on the GTC show floor got favorable reactions on social media for the sheer amount of computing po Read more…

NVLink: Faster Interconnects and Switches to Help Relieve Data Bottlenecks

March 25, 2024

Nvidia’s new Blackwell architecture may have stolen the show this week at the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California. But an emerging bottleneck at Read more…

Who is David Blackwell?

March 22, 2024

During GTC24, co-founder and president of NVIDIA Jensen Huang unveiled the Blackwell GPU. This GPU itself is heavily optimized for AI work, boasting 192GB of HB Read more…

Nvidia Looks to Accelerate GenAI Adoption with NIM

March 19, 2024

Today at the GPU Technology Conference, Nvidia launched a new offering aimed at helping customers quickly deploy their generative AI applications in a secure, s Read more…

The Generative AI Future Is Now, Nvidia’s Huang Says

March 19, 2024

We are in the early days of a transformative shift in how business gets done thanks to the advent of generative AI, according to Nvidia CEO and cofounder Jensen Read more…

Nvidia’s New Blackwell GPU Can Train AI Models with Trillions of Parameters

March 18, 2024

Nvidia's latest and fastest GPU, codenamed Blackwell, is here and will underpin the company's AI plans this year. The chip offers performance improvements from Read more…

Nvidia Showcases Quantum Cloud, Expanding Quantum Portfolio at GTC24

March 18, 2024

Nvidia’s barrage of quantum news at GTC24 this week includes new products, signature collaborations, and a new Nvidia Quantum Cloud for quantum developers. Wh Read more…

Houston We Have a Solution: Addressing the HPC and Tech Talent Gap

March 15, 2024

Generations of Houstonian teachers, counselors, and parents have either worked in the aerospace industry or know people who do - the prospect of entering the fi Read more…

Alibaba Shuts Down its Quantum Computing Effort

November 30, 2023

In case you missed it, China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba has shut down its quantum computing research effort. It’s not entirely clear what drove the change. Read more…

Nvidia H100: Are 550,000 GPUs Enough for This Year?

August 17, 2023

The GPU Squeeze continues to place a premium on Nvidia H100 GPUs. In a recent Financial Times article, Nvidia reports that it expects to ship 550,000 of its lat Read more…

Shutterstock 1285747942

AMD’s Horsepower-packed MI300X GPU Beats Nvidia’s Upcoming H200

December 7, 2023

AMD and Nvidia are locked in an AI performance battle – much like the gaming GPU performance clash the companies have waged for decades. AMD has claimed it Read more…

DoD Takes a Long View of Quantum Computing

December 19, 2023

Given the large sums tied to expensive weapon systems – think $100-million-plus per F-35 fighter – it’s easy to forget the U.S. Department of Defense is a Read more…

Synopsys Eats Ansys: Does HPC Get Indigestion?

February 8, 2024

Recently, it was announced that Synopsys is buying HPC tool developer Ansys. Started in Pittsburgh, Pa., in 1970 as Swanson Analysis Systems, Inc. (SASI) by John Swanson (and eventually renamed), Ansys serves the CAE (Computer Aided Engineering)/multiphysics engineering simulation market. Read more…

Choosing the Right GPU for LLM Inference and Training

December 11, 2023

Accelerating the training and inference processes of deep learning models is crucial for unleashing their true potential and NVIDIA GPUs have emerged as a game- Read more…

Intel’s Server and PC Chip Development Will Blur After 2025

January 15, 2024

Intel's dealing with much more than chip rivals breathing down its neck; it is simultaneously integrating a bevy of new technologies such as chiplets, artificia Read more…

Baidu Exits Quantum, Closely Following Alibaba’s Earlier Move

January 5, 2024

Reuters reported this week that Baidu, China’s giant e-commerce and services provider, is exiting the quantum computing development arena. Reuters reported � Read more…

Leading Solution Providers

Contributors

Comparing NVIDIA A100 and NVIDIA L40S: Which GPU is Ideal for AI and Graphics-Intensive Workloads?

October 30, 2023

With long lead times for the NVIDIA H100 and A100 GPUs, many organizations are looking at the new NVIDIA L40S GPU, which it’s a new GPU optimized for AI and g Read more…

Shutterstock 1179408610

Google Addresses the Mysteries of Its Hypercomputer 

December 28, 2023

When Google launched its Hypercomputer earlier this month (December 2023), the first reaction was, "Say what?" It turns out that the Hypercomputer is Google's t Read more…

AMD MI3000A

How AMD May Get Across the CUDA Moat

October 5, 2023

When discussing GenAI, the term "GPU" almost always enters the conversation and the topic often moves toward performance and access. Interestingly, the word "GPU" is assumed to mean "Nvidia" products. (As an aside, the popular Nvidia hardware used in GenAI are not technically... Read more…

Shutterstock 1606064203

Meta’s Zuckerberg Puts Its AI Future in the Hands of 600,000 GPUs

January 25, 2024

In under two minutes, Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, laid out the company's AI plans, which included a plan to build an artificial intelligence system with the eq Read more…

Google Introduces ‘Hypercomputer’ to Its AI Infrastructure

December 11, 2023

Google ran out of monikers to describe its new AI system released on December 7. Supercomputer perhaps wasn't an apt description, so it settled on Hypercomputer Read more…

China Is All In on a RISC-V Future

January 8, 2024

The state of RISC-V in China was discussed in a recent report released by the Jamestown Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. The report, entitled "E Read more…

Intel Won’t Have a Xeon Max Chip with New Emerald Rapids CPU

December 14, 2023

As expected, Intel officially announced its 5th generation Xeon server chips codenamed Emerald Rapids at an event in New York City, where the focus was really o Read more…

IBM Quantum Summit: Two New QPUs, Upgraded Qiskit, 10-year Roadmap and More

December 4, 2023

IBM kicks off its annual Quantum Summit today and will announce a broad range of advances including its much-anticipated 1121-qubit Condor QPU, a smaller 133-qu Read more…

  • arrow
  • Click Here for More Headlines
  • arrow
HPCwire