Configuration file removal notice

[Todd_R_Intel]

We are planning on removing the configuration file functionality from Intel MKL. This functionality is described in the User Guide which is posted online here. The configuration file provides means for the user to rename DLLs and shared object libraries and communicate those new names to the MKL dispatcher. Removal of this will mean that those that wish to have DLLs or shared object libraries with different names must create a custom DLL or shared object library with the tools provided. Chapter 5 of the User Guide describes the tools provided to create custom DLLs or shared object libraries.

If you have concerns about this, please let us know.

Todd

[AndrewC]

I have a comment. It is very important that the MKL DLLs our application/DLLs use do NOT conflict with (say) Matlab.

We provide MEX (Matlab Extension DLL) files that call our DLLs.

For example, Matlab 2007a uses MKL 9.0. We cannot use MKL 10.0 because when Matlab calls a MEX DLL Matlab's BIN directory is earlier in the PATH than our 'BIN' directory so the Matlab MKL 9.0 DLL's are found before 'our' MKL 10.0 DLL's causing a runtime DLL error.

The MKL 'custom' DLL does not provide a solution. It is possible to build a DLL that replaces mkl_c_dll.dll with say MY_mkl.DLL but the issue then becomes the other MKL DLL's such as mkl_p4n.DLL.
The Matlab (9.0) MKL DLL version of mkl_p4n.DLL is found before the 10.0 version.

We need a way to rename ALL the MKL DLL's so that there is no possible conflict.

The .CFG file looks like a solution but it's not. In the example with Matlab above, Matlabs MKL 9.0 will find the .CFG file in our BIN directory.

The CFG file idea would still work of it was called MKL_9.0.CFG or MKL_10.0.0.12.CFG etc.