[BrianHarrisonAMD]

Summary

Adds RFC 0023, which sets out what hipDNN needs from a runtime kernel compiler and assesses the options reviewed so far. It does not choose a compiler. Reviewers are asked to correct facts about their component, challenge requirements that would rule out a workable option, and name missing options.

JIRA ID : ALMIOPEN-3095

Risk Assessment

Risk 1/5. Documentation only: one new RFC and one row in the RFC index. No code, build or test changes.

Testing Summary

• Docs only. No build or test applies.

Testing Checklist

• pre-commit on changed files - pre-commit run --files projects/hipdnn/docs/rfcs/0023_RuntimeKernelCompilation.md projects/hipdnn/docs/rfcs/README.md - Status: Passed
• PR CI - GitHub PR checks - Status: Pending

Technical Changes

• Adds projects/hipdnn/docs/rfcs/0023_RuntimeKernelCompilation.md (status Planned) and its RFC index row.
• Requirements, each with a check: the compiler is available to a math library in rocm-sdk-libraries with no Python dependency; stable C API under ROCm versioning; cold compile under one second per kernel; compiles only at plan build, with a hipDNN-owned cache; compiles for any target on a CPU-only machine, with stored code objects and hipGraph launch (hipDNN-side plan save/load and hipGraph support are planned separately); and a fusion proof of concept (conv → MUL, MUL → conv).
• Kernel performance: compiled kernels must reach parity with hipDNN's best existing engine (best-of-autotune, geomean plus a worst-shape cap), and fused kernels with the best unfused execution. The RFC states no figures.
• Variant space: the compiler works within a bounded variant space whose variants can be ranked before compiling. The selection heuristic and tuning budget are hipDNN work, tracked in RFC 0019.
• Quality and validity: the compiler never aborts the host process, is deterministic across processes and machines, and behaves as a library in the user's process (A8). The kernel-validity check (A7) handles generic targets (code object v6) and dynamic stacks.
• Scope: the RFC covers the compiler and how options are evaluated. The hipDNN work it depends on (deviceless plans, selection, code-object cache, runtime controls, observability, pre-warm, security, testing) is listed as planned separately.
• Assesses hipRTC, rocKE, Loom, FlyDSL and Triton against those requirements, with first compile-time measurements.
• Records decisions (amd-comgr allowed at runtime, per-kernel compile budget, hipDNN-owned cache, best-existing-engine performance baseline, bounded rankable variant space) and open items (contract level, ownership, fusion request format, selection mechanism).
• Numbered 0023 because open PR docs(hipdnn): RFC 0022 per-op test plans (ALMIOPEN-2947) #13937 uses 0022.

[therock-pr-bot]

✅ All Checks Passed — Ready for Review

Check	Status	Details
📝 PR Description	✅ Pass	—
⛔ Forbidden Files	✅ Pass	—
🧪 Unit Test	✅ Pass	PR does not contain code files — Unit Test auto-passed
🔎 pre-commit	✅ Pass	—
🚫 Draft PR	🔜 To Be Enabled	—
🚩 Feature Flag	🔜 To Be Enabled	—
📊 Code Coverage	🔜 To Be Enabled	—
🤖 therock-pr-bot	✅ Pass	—

🎉 All checks passed! This PR is ready for review.

📖 Need help? See the Policy FAQ for details on every check and how to fix failures.

🙋 Wish to Override Policy?

[therock-pr-bot]

🎉 All checks passed! This PR is ready for review.