Intel® Fortran Compiler 16.0 User and Reference Guide

Overview: Heterogeneous Programming

This topic only applies to Intel® Many Integrated Core Architecture (Intel® MIC Architecture).

About Heterogeneous Programming

The compiler includes language extensions that simplify writing parallel programs that can offload sections to run on the Intel® Many Integrated Core Architecture (Intel® MIC Architecture).

Execution begins on the host CPU and, based on user-defined code, some sections are offloaded to the coprocessor.

Heterogeneous programming must deal with two differences from traditional CPU programming:

Programming Model

The compiler deals with the lack of shared system memory by using directives with the prefix OFFLOAD_.

This model is appropriate for dealing with flat data structures such as scalars, arrays and structs that are bit-wise copyable.

Data in this model is copied back and forth between the CPU and the coprocessor around regions of offloaded code. The data selected for transfer is a combination of variables implicitly transferred because they are lexically referenced within offload constructs, and variables explicitly listed in clauses in the directive.

Specifying that a construct should run on the coprocessor does not guarantee that it will. The presence of an Intel® MIC Architecture-based subsystem and its availability at the offload point determines if the offload succeeds. When an offload fails, the program exits with an error message.

Optimization Notice

Intel's compilers may or may not optimize to the same degree for non-Intel microprocessors for optimizations that are not unique to Intel microprocessors. These optimizations include SSE2, SSE3, and SSSE3 instruction sets and other optimizations. Intel does not guarantee the availability, functionality, or effectiveness of any optimization on microprocessors not manufactured by Intel. Microprocessor-dependent optimizations in this product are intended for use with Intel microprocessors. Certain optimizations not specific to Intel microarchitecture are reserved for Intel microprocessors. Please refer to the applicable product User and Reference Guides for more information regarding the specific instruction sets covered by this notice.

Notice revision #20110804

See Also