Nvidia develops new software to help track chips following smuggling discovery

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Nvidia customers can now track GPU usage and power spikes
Location tracking isn't included, so it's not a threat to Chinese exports
Nvidia is pushing transparency by open-sourcing the software

Nvidia is working on new software for its GPUs to verify their usage, amid changed plans that see the H20 export bans lifted for the Chinese market.

The company is marketing this as a solution for "visualising and monitoring fleets of... GPUs" – one that will be entirely opt-in, the company stressed.

Although location tracking is not included in Nvidia's explanation, companies will be able to track certain usage metrics to ensure that patterns correlate with purchasing intentions.

Nvidia will offer opt-in GPU tracking software

Data center operators will be able to track power usage spikes to align usage with energy budgets, efficiency, and performance, as well as utilization and bandwidth.

"These capabilities can help enterprises and cloud providers visualize their GPU fleet, address system bottlenecks and optimize productivity for higher return on investment," Nvidia wrote in the blog post.

With this solution, operators can stream node-level GPU telemetry to a special portal in order to have a global overview.

Key to the software is the fact that Nvidia will be making the client tooling agent open-source for enhanced transparency. "It’ll [also] offer a working example for how customers can incorporate NVIDIA tools into their own solutions for monitoring GPU infrastructure – whether for critical compute clusters or entire fleets," the company added.

As well as giving real-time visibility across GPUs, Nvidia customers will also be able to generate reports for auditing purposes.

Nvidia has not shared any further details about availability, besides affirming that the service is "opt-in" and "customer-installed," so not all GPUs will be tracked by default.

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With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!

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