Number of licenses required for MKL?

[Adrienne_S_]

Hi,

After getting the evaluation license of MKL working, we're trying to determine how many MKL licenses are required for our system setup. We would only be using MKL through R, so after R is built with MKL, I don't think we would not be directly calling MKL routines. R can create a shared library (libR.so) that links to the MKL .so files.

We have three different systems, each with their own local build of R. Only one person compiles and installs R on the three different systems, and the resulting installations of R are used by ~20 people. My understanding is that we would need 1 single-user license for each system, since only one person would install R+MKL. However, one of these systems is actually a cluster with ~1000 nodes. Is 1 license sufficient for the cluster, assuming some of the 20 users are running multiple instances of R on the cluster nodes, if the R installation is built with MKL by one user?

Finally, some R packages have components that need to be compiled when they're installed. Do we need additional licenses for each user that installs R packages?

Thanks,

Adrienne

[Joseph_S_Intel]

Hi Adrienne,

The number of Intel MKL copies that you need is determined by the number of developers who are writing code, compiling, and testing using the Intel MKL API, For example, five developers in an organization working on building code with Intel MKL will require five Intel MKL licenses. View the EULA for complete details. These can be deployed on any number of machines on which the application is built and/or tested as long as there is only the number of licensed copies in use at any given time. For example a development team of five developers using ten machines simultaneously for development and test activities with Intel MKL, will be required to get ten licenses of Intel MKL.

From what you describe you would need one named single user license, if the person building R with MKL is always the same person. If different people are building R using MKL then each build person will need a license, or you will need a floating license. If there are machines or nodes where automated builds take place then you need a license for each build machine or node.

See this article:

https://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/intel-math-kernel-library-licensing-faq#endus

I hope that helps.

Walter

[Adrienne_S_]

Hi Walter,

Thanks for the response! I do have a few followup questions before we decide how many licenses to buy.

1) It sounds like we may able to use 1 license of MKL to compile unrelated C++ code in addition to R as long as the builds were not simultaneous and that the same person compiled both R and the C++ code. Is that correct?

2) I still don't understand how many (if any) licenses would be required for two users installing R packages that require compiling (some R packages are distributed with C code that is then called by R). These users would be different than the user who compiles R. Since R would already be compiled and linked to the MKL, are additional licenses required for additional users at this step?

3) Where can I find information on the cost of a floating license? If it makes a difference, we're at a university so we should qualify for the academic price if available.

Thanks for the clarification,

Adrienne

[moe_q_]

Walter Shands (Intel) wrote:

Hi Adrienne,

The number of Intel MKL copies that you need is determined by the number of developers who are writing code, compiling, and testing using the Intel MKL API, For example, five developers in an organization working on building code with Intel MKL will require five Intel MKL licenses. View the EULA for complete details. These can be deployed on any number of machines on which the application is built and/or tested as long as there is only the number of licensed copies in use at any given time. For example a development team of five developers using ten machines simultaneously for development and test activities with Intel MKL, will be required to get ten licenses of Intel MKL.

From what you describe you would need one named single user license, if the person building R with MKL is always the same person. If different people are building R using MKL then each build person will need a license, or you will need a floating license. If there are machines or nodes where automated builds take place then you need a license for each build machine or node.

See this article:

https://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/intel-math-kernel-library-licensing-faq#endus

I hope that helps.

Walter

I'm surprised by this answer.  From what Adrienne says, it appears that up to 20 copies of R with MKL will be running simultaneously on her cluster.  Doesn't that mean they need 20 licenses?

Best, Moe

[Feilong_H_Intel]

Regarding education offering & floating license, please see this page: https://software.intel.com/en-us/buy-or-renew