llama.cpp for IBM zDNN Accelerator #
Warning
Note: zDNN is not the same as ZenDNN.
- zDNN (this page): IBM's Deep Neural Network acceleration library for IBM Z & LinuxONE Mainframes
- ZenDNN: AMD's deep learning library for AMD EPYC CPUs (see ZenDNN documentation)
Background #
IBM zDNN (Z Deep Neural Network) is a hardware acceleration library designed specifically to leverage the IBM NNPA (Neural Network Processor Assist) accelerator located within IBM Telum I and II processors. It provides significant performance improvements for neural network inference operations.
Llama.cpp + IBM zDNN #
The llama.cpp zDNN backend is designed to enable llama.cpp on IBM z17 and later systems via the IBM zDNN hardware acceleration library.
Software & Hardware Support #
| Hardware Level | Status | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| IBM z17 / LinuxONE 5 | Supported | RHEL 9.6, IBM z17, 40 IFLs |
| IBM z16 / LinuxONE 4 | Not Supported |
Data Types Supported #
| Data Type | Status |
|---|---|
| F32 | Supported |
| F16 | Supported |
| BF16 | Supported |
CMake Options #
The IBM zDNN backend has the following CMake options that control the behaviour of the backend.
| CMake Option | Default Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
GGML_ZDNN |
OFF |
Compile llama.cpp with zDNN support |
ZDNN_ROOT |
"" |
Override zDNN library lookup |
1. Install zDNN Library #
Note: Using the zDNN library provided via apt or yum may not work correctly as reported in #15772. It is preferred that you compile from source.
git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/IBM/zDNN
cd zDNN
autoreconf .
./configure --prefix=/opt/zdnn-libs
make build
sudo make install
2. Build llama.cpp #
git clone https://github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp
cd llama.cpp
cmake -S . -G Ninja -B build \
-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
-DGGML_ZDNN=ON \
-DZDNN_ROOT=/opt/zdnn-libs
cmake --build build --config Release -j$(nproc)