  We performed a banged-digital-analog simulation of a quantum annealing
protocol in a two-qubit Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) quantum computer. Our
experimental simulation employed up to 235 Trotter steps, with more than 2000
gates (pulses), and we obtained a protocol success above 80%. Given the
exquisite control of the NMR quantum computer, we performed the simulation with
different noise levels. We thus analyzed the reliability of the quantum
annealing process, and related it to the level of entanglement produced during
the protocol. Although the presence of entanglement is not a sufficient
signature for a better-than-classical simulation, the level of entanglement
achieved relates to the fidelity of the protocol.
