OpenSearch and Vector Search

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 99 views

Introduction

The increasing adoption of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI (GenAI) has led to a significant surge in workloads, from millions to billions of vectors. This has put a strain on the performance of ingest and query operations, making it essential to explore new ways to optimize these workloads. In this blog post, we will delve into the world of Intel's Advanced Vector Extensions 512 (Intel AVX-512) and its impact on OpenSearch vector search performance.

Understanding Intel AVX-512

Intel AVX-512 is a set of new instructions designed to accelerate performance on demanding computational tasks. With its ultra-wide 512-bit vector operations capabilities, Intel AVX-512 can handle complex workloads with ease. This extension is particularly useful for applications that require high-performance computing, such as scientific simulations, data analytics, and machine learning.

OpenSearch and Vector Search

OpenSearch is a highly scalable and flexible search and analytics engine that can handle large volumes of data. Its vector search capabilities make it an ideal choice for applications that require fast and efficient search operations. However, as the workloads increase, the performance of OpenSearch can be impacted, making it essential to optimize its vector search capabilities.

Benchmarking OpenSearch with Intel AVX-512

To evaluate the performance of OpenSearch with Intel AVX-512, we used the OpenSearch-benchmark tool. This tool allows us to simulate various workloads and measure the performance of OpenSearch under different conditions. We compared the performance of OpenSearch with Intel AVX-512 and Intel AVX2, a previous generation of vector instructions.

Results

Our benchmarking results show that Intel AVX-512 provides a significant performance boost over Intel AVX2 for both FP32 and FP16 encoding across multiple vector dimensions. Specifically, we observed:

Up to 15% performance improvement for indexing with Intel AVX-512 compared to Intel AVX2
Up to 18% performance improvement for search with Intel AVX-512 compared to Intel AVX2

These results demonstrate the potential of Intel AVX-512 to improve the performance of OpenSearch vector search operations.

Comparison of Intel AVX2 and Intel AVX-512

To better understand the performance differences between Intel AVX2 and Intel AVX-512, let's take a closer look at the instructions and their impact on performance.

Intel AVX2

Intel AVX2 is a previous generation of vector instructions that provides 256-bit vector operations capabilities. While it is still a powerful instruction set, it has limitations when it comes to handling complex workloads.

Intel AVX-512

Intel AVX-512, on the other hand, offers 512-bit vector operations capabilities, making it a more powerful and efficient instruction set. With its wider vector operations, Intel AVX-512 can handle more complex workloads and provide better performance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our benchmarking results demonstrate the potential of Intel AVX-512 to improve the performance of OpenSearch vector search operations. With its ultra-wide 512-bit vector operations capabilities, Intel AVX-512 can handle complex workloads with ease, providing a significant performance boost over Intel AVX2. As the adoption of LLMs and GenAI continues to grow, the need for high-performance computing will only increase. By leveraging Intel AVX-512, developers can optimize their applications and improve their performance, making it an essential tool for any developer working with OpenSearch.

Future Work

While our results demonstrate the potential of Intel AVX-512, there is still much work to be done. Future research should focus on exploring the use of Intel AVX-512 in other applications and workloads, as well as optimizing the performance of OpenSearch with Intel AVX-512.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the following individuals for their contributions to this blog post:

Mulugeta Mammo
Assane Diop
Noah Staveley
Akash Shankaran
Naveen Tatikonda
Vamshi Vijay Nakkirtha
Dylan Tong

References

Intel AVX-512: https://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/intel-advanced-vector-extensions-512
OpenSearch: https://opensearch.org/
OpenSearch-benchmark: https://github.com/opensearch-project/opensearch-benchmark

About the Authors

The authors of this blog post are:

Mulugeta Mammo: mulugeta.mammo@intel.com
Assane Diop: assane.diop@intel.com
Noah Staveley: noah.staveley@intel.com
Akash Shankaran: akash.shankaran@intel.com
Naveen Tatikonda: navtat@amazon.com
Vamshi Vijay Nakkirtha: vamshin@amazon.com
Dylan Tong: dylatong@amazon.com
Boost OpenSearch Vector Search performance with Intel AVX-512: Q&A ====================================================================

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored the potential of Intel AVX-512 to improve the performance of OpenSearch vector search operations. We demonstrated a significant performance boost over Intel AVX2 for both FP32 and FP16 encoding across multiple vector dimensions. In this Q&A article, we will address some of the most frequently asked questions about Intel AVX-512 and its impact on OpenSearch vector search performance.

Q: What is Intel AVX-512 and how does it improve performance?

A: Intel AVX-512 is a set of new instructions that can accelerate performance on demanding computational tasks. With its ultra-wide 512-bit vector operations capabilities, Intel AVX-512 can handle complex workloads with ease, providing a significant performance boost over Intel AVX2.

Q: How does Intel AVX-512 improve OpenSearch vector search performance?

A: Intel AVX-512 improves OpenSearch vector search performance by providing faster and more efficient vector operations. This allows OpenSearch to handle complex workloads with ease, reducing the time it takes to perform search operations.

Q: What are the benefits of using Intel AVX-512 with OpenSearch?

A: The benefits of using Intel AVX-512 with OpenSearch include:

Improved performance: Intel AVX-512 provides a significant performance boost over Intel AVX2, making it an ideal choice for applications that require fast and efficient search operations.
Increased scalability: Intel AVX-512 can handle complex workloads with ease, making it an ideal choice for large-scale applications.
Reduced latency: Intel AVX-512 reduces the time it takes to perform search operations, making it an ideal choice for applications that require low-latency search operations.

Q: How do I get started with Intel AVX-512 and OpenSearch?

A: To get started with Intel AVX-512 and OpenSearch, you will need to:

Install the Intel AVX-512 extension on your system.
Install OpenSearch and configure it to use the Intel AVX-512 extension.
Use the OpenSearch-benchmark tool to evaluate the performance of OpenSearch with Intel AVX-512.

Q: What are the system requirements for Intel AVX-512 and OpenSearch?

A: The system requirements for Intel AVX-512 and OpenSearch include:

A system with an Intel processor that supports Intel AVX-512.
A system with sufficient memory and storage to run OpenSearch.
A system with a compatible operating system (such as Linux or Windows).

Q: Can I use Intel AVX-512 with other search engines?

A: Yes, you can use Intel AVX-512 with other search engines, such as Elasticsearch or Apache Solr. However, the performance benefits of Intel AVX-512 may vary depending on the specific search engine and its configuration.

Q: What are the future plans for Intel AVX-512 and OpenSearch?

A: The future plans for Intel AVX-512 and OpenSearch include:

Continued optimization of OpenSearch to take advantage of Intel AVX-512.
Development of new features and functionality for OpenSearch that leverage Intel AVX-512.
Exploration of new use cases and applications for Intel AVX-512 and OpenSearch.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Intel AVX-512 is a powerful extension that can improve the performance of OpenSearch vector search operations. By leveraging Intel AVX-512, developers can optimize their applications and improve their performance, making it an essential tool for any developer working with OpenSearch.

Additional Resources

For more information on Intel AVX-512 and OpenSearch, please refer to the following resources:

Intel AVX-512: https://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/intel-advanced-vector-extensions-512
OpenSearch: https://opensearch.org/
OpenSearch-benchmark: https://github.com/opensearch-project/opensearch-benchmark

About the Authors

The authors of this Q&A article are:

Mulugeta Mammo: mulugeta.mammo@intel.com
Assane Diop: assane.diop@intel.com
Noah Staveley: noah.staveley@intel.com
Akash Shankaran: akash.shankaran@intel.com
Naveen Tatikonda: navtat@amazon.com
Vamshi Vijay Nakkirtha: vamshin@amazon.com
Dylan Tong: dylatong@amazon.com