First impressions from detailed brain model simulations on a Xeon/Xeon-Phi node

Abstract

The development of physiologically plausible neuron models comes with increased complexity, which poses a challenge for many-core computing. In this work, we have chosen an extension of the demanding Hodgkin-Huxley model for the neurons of the Inferior Olivary Nucleus, an area of vital importance for motor skills. The computing fabric of choice is an Intel Xeon-Xeon Phi system, widely-used in modern computing infrastructure. The target application is parallelized with combinations of MPI and OpenMP. The best configurations are scaled up to human InfOli numbers.