All Products
Search
Document Center

PolarDB:Enable GPU-accelerated computing

Last Updated:Aug 27, 2026

Because of its specialized hardware architecture, a GPU has significant advantages over a CPU when processing compute-intensive and highly parallelizable programs.

How it works

GPU parallel acceleration in a database operates at the object level. It converts the objects of a single field into a model that is suitable for parallel computing, and leverages the massive number of GPU cores to perform parallel computation.

Precautions

In scenarios with high concurrency, a single GPU device has limited resources. We recommend that you disable GPU-accelerated computing in the session.

Usage method

GanosBase automatically enables GPU-accelerated computing when it detects a GPU device. No additional parameter settings are required on the implemented functions, and the accelerated computing is transparent to users. At the same time, GanosBase provides session-level control permissions, allowing users to decide whether to enable GPU-accelerated computing.

  1. Verify whether the current environment has a GPU device.

    1. Create the ganos_raster extension create extension ganos_raster cascade.

    2. Execute the SQL statement select st_checkgpu().

      • If a GPU device is detected in the current environment, the GPU device information is returned.

        rasterdb=# select st_checkgpu();
                            st_checkgpu
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         [GPU(0) prop]multiProcessorCount=20; sharedMemPerBlock=49152; totalGlobalMem=-608239616; maxThreadsPerBlock=1024; maxThreadsPerMultiProcessor=2048; cudaThreadGetLimit=1024 .
        (1 row)
      • If no GPU device is detected in the current environment, an error message is returned.

        rasterdb=# select st_checkgpu();
                           st_checkgpu
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        There is not gpu device on current environment, cuda_errorcode=35, errormsg=CUDA driver version is insufficient for CUDA runtime version.
        (1 row)
      Note

      GPU-accelerated computing can be enabled only in an environment with a GPU device.

  2. Enable and disable the session-level GPU usage status.

    • In an environment with a GPU device, GanosBase enables GPU-accelerated computing by default. If you want to disable GPU-accelerated computing and use the original CPU computing mode, execute set ganos.raster.use_cuda=off in the session:

      rasterdb=# set ganos.raster.use_cuda=off;
      SET
      rasterdb=# show ganos.raster.use_cuda;
       ganos.raster.use_cuda
      -----------------------
       off
      (1 row)
    • If you need to re-enable GPU-accelerated computing, execute set ganos.raster.use_cuda=on:

      rasterdb=# set ganos.raster.use_cuda=on;
      SET
      rasterdb=# show ganos.raster.use_cuda;
       ganos.raster.use_cuda
      -----------------------
       on
      (1 row)
  3. The modules that implement GPU-accelerated computing in GanosBase.

    Note

    Currently, GPU-accelerated computing is implemented only in the Raster module of GanosBase. Support for the Trajectory and Geometry modules will be added in the future.