Domestic AI Server: Huawei Ascend Server Full Analysis
In the new era of computing power, Ascend has emerged as a rising star
At present, AI technology is penetrating into various fields at an unprecedented speed, from intelligent voice assistants to image recognition, from autonomous driving to medical diagnosis, the presence of AI is everywhere. And what supports all of this is powerful computing power. Computing power, like the "fuel" of AI, without sufficient computing power, the development of AI will be difficult. With the rise of AI big models, the demand for computing power is growing exponentially. OpenAI's GPT-3 model requires a significant amount of computing resources to train once, which highlights the crucial role of computing power in the AI era.
In the field of domestic AI servers, Huawei Ascend servers are undoubtedly a shining star. It stands out in the fierce market competition and has become the first choice for many enterprises and institutions due to its outstanding performance, powerful ecosystem, and autonomous and controllable technology. The emergence of Huawei Ascend servers not only provides strong support for the development of China's AI industry, but also breaks the long-term monopoly of foreign countries in the field of computing power, and wins a place for China in the global AI competition.
Unveiling Technical Strength
（1） The powerful core of the core chip
The "heart" of Ascend servers - Ascend chips, adopts Huawei's self-developed Da Vinci architecture, which is specifically tailored for neural network computing features. Based on high-performance 3D Cube matrix computing units, it achieves significant improvements in computing power and energy efficiency for tensor computing. Taking the Ascend 910B2 as an example, it has significant characteristics of high computing power and low power consumption. In terms of computing power, it is basically aligned with NVIDIA A800, which can meet the needs of large-scale training tasks and provide strong impetus for the training of AI large models. In terms of energy efficiency, among the servers on the Kunpeng base, the Ascend 910B2 has lower power consumption and excellent "performance/power" ratio. This means that it can operate with lower energy consumption in long-term, high-intensity computing tasks, which not only reduces the operating costs of data centers but also conforms to the current trend of green computing development.
（2） Excellent performance of hardware configuration
In terms of memory, Ascend servers are equipped with large capacity and high bandwidth memory, which can quickly read and store data, meeting the huge demand for data throughput in AI computing. Whether it is the loading of large-scale data or frequent updates of model parameters, it can handle them with ease, ensuring efficient execution of computing tasks.
In terms of storage, high-speed solid-state drives (SSDs) are used, which have fast data read and write speeds and high reliability. This enables servers to quickly store and read data when processing massive amounts of data, reducing data read latency and improving overall computing efficiency. At the same time, its high reliability also ensures the security of data, avoiding data loss caused by storage failures.
In terms of network, it supports high-speed network connections, such as 100Gbps or even higher network bandwidth, to achieve efficient communication between multiple cards. In distributed training, multiple servers need to frequently exchange data, and high-speed network connections can greatly shorten data transmission time, improve the efficiency of distributed training, and enable model training to converge more quickly.
（3） Intelligent collaboration of software systems
The software system supporting Ascend servers is also excellent, among which the CANN (Compute Architecture for Neural Networks) computing architecture plays a key role. CANN supports mainstream AI frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, and MindSpore, while enabling Ascend AI processors, achieving decoupling and interoperability between diverse computing power at the bottom and upper level frameworks/algorithms.
In actual operation, CANN will compile and optimize the computation graph of AI tasks. It will process and streamline a large computational graph, removing unnecessary nodes and turning it into several subgraphs. Then, based on the types of computing tasks that heterogeneous hardware excels at, it will distribute each subgraph to the CPU NPU， Even executed on smaller heterogeneous units within NPU. In the process of multitasking, CANN automatically parallelizes computing tasks through a factory pipeline like approach, allowing all hardware resources to be fully utilized, thereby greatly improving overall computing efficiency.
Market performance and industry impact
（1） Rapid increase in market share
Ascend servers have been making great strides in the market. According to relevant data, in 2024, Ascend servers achieved a significant increase in market share, with a market share of [X]% in the domestic AI server market, an increase of [X] percentage points from the previous year. The achievement of this result fully demonstrates the strong competitiveness of Ascend servers in the market.
In the financial field, Ascend servers are widely used in business scenarios such as risk assessment and intelligent investment advisory. A large bank has built an intelligent risk control system using Ascend servers. Through real-time analysis of massive financial data, potential risks can be quickly identified, effectively reducing the non-performing loan ratio. In the energy industry, Ascend servers assist oil exploration companies in seismic data processing, greatly reducing data processing time, improving exploration efficiency, and saving companies a lot of costs.
（2） Collaborative development of industrial chain
The rise of Ascend servers has driven the collaborative development of the entire industry chain. In the chip manufacturing process, Huawei has closely cooperated with multiple domestic semiconductor companies, such as SMIC, to jointly promote the progress of chip manufacturing technology. These enterprises provide advanced manufacturing technology and production capabilities for Ascend chips, ensuring high-quality and large-scale production of chips.
In terms of system integration, enterprises such as Tuowei Information and Shenzhou Digital actively participate in the ecological construction of Ascend servers, providing customized solutions for customers. Tuowei Information has created a smart education solution based on Ascend servers, providing schools with an intelligent teaching platform and improving teaching quality and efficiency. Shenzhou Digital will apply Ascend servers to the field of cloud computing, providing efficient cloud services for enterprises and helping them with digital transformation.
In addition, Ascend servers have also promoted the development of related industries such as software, algorithms, and data. Many software companies have developed various AI applications based on Ascend servers, covering multiple fields such as healthcare, transportation, and security, promoting the landing and application of AI technology in various industries.
（3） Promoting the domestic AI industry
Ascend servers are of great significance for the independent and controllable development of the domestic AI industry. It breaks the monopoly of foreign countries in the field of computing power, provides independent and controllable computing power support for the domestic AI industry, reduces dependence on foreign technology, and improves the security and stability of the industry.
The development of Ascend servers has promoted the innovation and application of domestic AI technology. Through cooperation with domestic research institutions and universities, Ascend Server provides powerful computing power support for the research and development of AI technology, accelerating the transformation and application of scientific research achievements. Some key technologies in the field of artificial intelligence, such as natural language processing and computer vision, have made significant progress in research based on Ascend servers, promoting the improvement of domestic AI technology level.
Ascend servers have also driven the improvement of the domestic AI industry ecosystem, attracting a large number of enterprises and talents to participate in the development of the AI industry, forming a good industrial development atmosphere, and laying a solid foundation for the long-term development of the domestic AI industry.
Application field full scan
（1） The shining eyes of intelligent security
In the field of security, Ascend servers can be called "sharp eyes", relying on their powerful image recognition and video analysis capabilities to safeguard urban safety. In the security monitoring system of a large city, Ascend servers are responsible for real-time analysis of massive surveillance videos. By equipped with advanced image recognition algorithms, it can instantly recognize targets such as people and vehicles in the picture and analyze their behavior. Once abnormal behavior is detected, such as personnel entering restricted areas or vehicles driving illegally, the system will immediately issue an alarm and notify relevant personnel to take action.
The video analysis capability of Ascend servers is also reflected in their ability to handle complex scenes. In crowded public places, it can accurately count the number of people, monitor the flow trend of the crowd, and timely detect potential dangers such as crowd gathering and trampling. Even in low light and harsh weather conditions, Ascend servers can still maintain high recognition accuracy, ensuring the reliability of security monitoring.
（2） The intelligent brain of financial technology
In the financial field, Ascend servers are the "smart brain" of financial institutions, assisting in the development of risk prediction and intelligent investment advisory services. In terms of risk prediction, Ascend servers can analyze massive financial data, including market trends, customer credit records, trading behavior, etc., and construct risk prediction models through machine learning algorithms. A risk prediction system built by a certain bank using Ascend servers can identify potential risk customers in advance, providing strong support for the bank's credit decisions and effectively reducing the non-performing loan ratio.
In terms of intelligent investment advisory, Ascend servers can provide personalized investment advice to customers based on their risk preferences, investment goals, and other factors. Through real-time analysis of market data, it can adjust investment portfolios in a timely manner and help clients achieve asset preservation and appreciation. Ascend servers also support intelligent customer service, which can quickly and accurately answer customer questions and improve customer service quality.
（3） A powerful assistant for scientific research and innovation
In the field of scientific research, Ascend servers are the "right-hand man" for researchers, accelerating scientific computing and model training. In physics research, scientists need to analyze and simulate a large amount of experimental data. The powerful computing power of Ascend servers can greatly shorten computation time and help scientists obtain research results faster. In the field of bioinformatics, researchers need to analyze biological data such as gene sequences. Ascend servers can accelerate the processing of gene sequencing data, providing support for disease research and drug development.
In artificial intelligence research, Ascend servers are an indispensable tool. It can support large-scale deep learning model training, accelerate model convergence speed, and improve model performance. Many research institutions and universities have utilized Ascend servers to conduct research in fields such as natural language processing and computer vision, and have achieved a series of important scientific research results.
Future prospects and challenges coexist
（1） Continuous breakthroughs in technological innovation
Looking ahead to the future, Ascend servers have broad development space in terms of technological innovation. In terms of chip technology, Huawei is expected to continue optimizing the architecture and process technology of Ascend chips, further improving their computing power and energy efficiency ratio. With the continuous advancement of semiconductor technology, future Ascend chips may adopt more advanced processes, such as 3-nanometer or even higher-level processes, to achieve higher performance and lower power consumption.
In terms of hardware architecture, Ascend servers may evolve towards greater flexibility and scalability. For example, adopting a modular design concept allows users to flexibly configure the hardware components of the server according to their own needs, achieving on-demand expansion of computing power. Future Ascend servers may also strengthen their integration with other hardware technologies, such as quantum computing, optical computing, etc., exploring new computing modes and providing stronger computing power support for the development of AI.
（2） Strategies for Dealing with Market Competition
Currently, the AI server market is fiercely competitive, and in addition to domestic competitors, Ascend servers also face challenges from international giants. In such a competitive situation, Ascend servers need to continuously improve their competitiveness. On the one hand, we need to continuously optimize product performance, reduce costs, and attract customers with cost-effectiveness advantages. Through technological innovation and economies of scale, we aim to reduce the production cost of servers while improving product performance and stability, providing customers with higher quality services.
On the other hand, we need to strengthen market expansion and brand building. Actively explore domestic and international markets, especially in emerging AI application fields such as metaverse, intelligent Internet of Things, etc., and seek new market growth points. By participating in international exhibitions and holding technical seminars, we aim to enhance the brand awareness and influence of Ascend servers, and establish a good brand image.
（3） Continuous improvement of ecological construction
Ecological construction is crucial for the development of Ascend servers. In the future, Huawei will continue to increase investment in ecological construction and attract more partners to join the Ascend ecosystem. In terms of software, further improve the CANN computing architecture, optimize support for various AI frameworks and algorithms, and provide developers with a more convenient and efficient development environment. At the same time, software companies are encouraged to develop more AI applications based on Ascend servers to enrich the application ecosystem.
In terms of hardware, we will strengthen collaborative innovation with hardware partners, jointly develop more advanced hardware products, and improve the hardware ecosystem. Huawei may also establish more developer communities and technology exchange platforms to promote communication and cooperation among developers, stimulate innovation vitality, and drive the continuous development and growth of the Ascend ecosystem.
Summary: The light of domestic production, the future is promising
Huawei Ascend servers have become a leader in domestic AI servers with their outstanding technical strength, outstanding market performance, and wide range of application areas. It not only provides strong computing power support for the development of China's AI industry, but also earns China dignity and status in the global AI competition.
In the future, with continuous technological innovation and market expansion, Huawei Ascend servers are expected to achieve even more brilliant achievements. We have reason to believe that Huawei Ascend servers will continue to lead the development trend of domestic AI servers and make greater contributions to promoting the prosperity and development of China's AI industry. Let's look forward to the brilliant performance of Huawei Ascend servers in the future, and also look forward to more domestic AI servers rising to promote China's AI industry to new heights together!
