A CXL converter, rack mount and electronic system

Abstract

This invention discloses a CXL converter, rack mount, and electronic system. The CXL converter includes: a master device interface, a slave device interface, and a cross switch; the master device interface is used to connect a master control device, and the slave device interface is used to connect slave devices; the master device interface includes a master electrical interface and a master optical interface, and the slave device interface includes a slave electrical interface and a slave optical interface; wherein, the master electrical interface and the master optical interface are connected to the cross switch through a master photoelectric conversion unit, and the slave electrical interface and the slave optical interface are connected to the cross switch through a slave photoelectric conversion unit, so that the master control device and the slave devices can perform electrical communication and / or optical communication based on the path opened by the cross switch. This invention provides a solution that enables rich near-end and far-end flexible integration between devices and between devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electronic technology, and more particularly to a CXL converter, rack assembly, and electronic system. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of electronic technology, various new types of storage devices have emerged. In particular, with the development of open industry standard interconnect (Compute Express Link, CXL) technology, a wide variety of device forms with storage functions have appeared.

[0003] Currently, integrated devices with multiple functions have been realized based on CXL technology, but the integration methods between devices and between devices are often relatively simple. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present invention is proposed to provide a CXL converter, rack assembly, and electronic system that overcomes or at least partially solves the above problems.

[0005] Firstly, a CXL converter is provided, comprising: The system includes a master device interface, a slave device interface, and a cross switch; the master device interface is used to connect to the master control device, and the slave device interface is used to connect to the slave device. The master device interface includes a master electrical interface and a master optical interface, and the slave device interface includes a slave electrical interface and a slave optical interface; The main electrical interface and the main optical interface are connected to the cross switch via a main photoelectric conversion unit, and the slave electrical interface and the slave optical interface are connected to the cross switch via a slave photoelectric conversion unit, so that the master control device and the slave device can perform electrical communication and / or optical communication based on the path opened by the cross switch.

[0006] Optionally, the slave device interface includes a computing interface and a storage interface, the computing interface being used to connect to a computing device and the storage interface being used to connect to a storage device; the CXL converter further includes a cache routing unit, and both the computing interface and the storage interface are connected to the cache routing unit, so that the computing device and the storage device can communicate through the cache routing unit.

[0007] Optionally, when the control command issued by the master control device is a command that combines data access and computing requirements, the cross switch opens the channel between the master device interface and the computing interface based on the control command to transmit the control command to the computing device; the computing device generates and sends an access request to the cache routing unit based on the control command, and the cache routing unit forwards the access request to the corresponding storage interface to access the corresponding storage device.

[0008] Secondly, an improved rack assembly includes: The master control device, the slave device, and the CXL converter described in any one of the first aspects; The master control device is connected to the master device interface, and the slave device is connected to the slave device interface; the master control device and the slave device can perform electrical communication and / or optical communication based on the path opened by the cross switch.

[0009] Optionally, the slave device includes a CXL controller, which includes a device electrical interface and a device optical interface to enable electrical and / or optical transmission connections with external devices connected to the slave device; the external devices include one or more of the following: the CXL converter, the master control device, and other slave devices.

[0010] Optionally, the slave device is connected to the devices within the rack assembly via the device's electrical interface and / or the device's optical interface; the slave device is connected to devices outside the rack assembly via the device's optical interface.

[0011] Optionally, the CXL controller includes a selector, through which both the device electrical interface and the device optical interface are connected to the external device, enabling the switching of connection paths based on the selector.

[0012] Optionally, the slave device is connected to the CXL converter and the target device respectively through the selector; when a device needs to communicate with the CXL converter, the selector opens the connection channel between the slave device and the CXL converter; when a device needs to communicate with the target device, the selector opens the connection channel between the slave device and the target device; wherein, the target device is the master device and / or other slave devices.

[0013] Thirdly, an electronic system is provided, comprising: The rack device described in any of the second aspects, wherein there are N rack devices, where N is greater than 1.

[0014] Optionally, the rack units are connected via optical communication through optical interfaces.

[0015] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention have at least the following technical effects or advantages: The CXL converter, rack-mount device, and electronic system provided in this invention enable the optical interface protocol based on the CXL protocol. The CXL converter's master device interface includes a master electrical interface and a master optical interface, while the slave device interface includes a slave electrical interface and a slave optical interface. A master optoelectronic conversion unit connects the cross switch to the master device interface, and a slave optoelectronic conversion unit connects the cross switch to the slave device interface. This allows the CXL converter's uplink interconnection (interconnection with the master control device) and downlink interconnection (interconnection with slave devices) to be not limited to electrical connections. Optical communication connections and / or electrical communication connections can be selected according to environmental and functional requirements. Furthermore, communication signals between devices connected to the CXL converter can be flexibly converted through the optoelectronic conversion units. This combines the long-distance advantages of optical communication connections with the short-distance advantages of electrical communication connections, enabling rich and flexible near-end and far-end integration between devices and systems.

[0016] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and in order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the CXL converter in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the frame device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the device structure in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is an example diagram illustrating the connection switching between devices in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the electronic system in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0019] The accompanying drawings illustrate various structural schematics according to embodiments of the present disclosure. These drawings are not to scale, and some details have been enlarged for clarity, and some details may have been omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the drawings, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate from reality due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.

[0020] Please see Figure 1 This application provides a CXL converter, including: a master device interface 1, a slave device interface 2, and a cross switch 3. The master device interface 1 is used to connect a master control device, and the slave device interface 2 is used to connect slave devices. The master device interface 1 includes a master electrical interface 11 and a master optical interface 12, and the slave device interface 2 includes a slave electrical interface 21 and a slave optical interface 22. The master electrical interface 11 and the master optical interface 12 are connected to the cross switch 3 via a master photoelectric conversion unit 4, and the slave electrical interface 21 and the slave optical interface 22 are connected to the cross switch 3 via a slave photoelectric conversion unit 5, enabling the master control device and the slave device to perform electrical and / or optical communication based on the path opened by the cross switch 3.

[0021] It should be noted that the CXL converter may have one or more main electrical interfaces 11, one or more main optical interfaces 12, one or more slave electrical interfaces 21, and one or more slave optical interfaces 22, without any restrictions. The CXL converter can connect to multiple and various master control devices, as well as multiple and various slave devices. The master control device may be a CPU or motherboard, etc., and the slave devices may be storage devices, computing devices, memory devices, or network devices, etc., without any restrictions.

[0022] Specifically, the main photoelectric conversion unit 4 and the slave photoelectric conversion unit 5 can convert the received optical signal and electrical signal according to the path opened by the cross switch 3. For example, if the path opened by the cross switch 3 is from the master control device A to the slave device A, the master control device A is connected to the main optical interface 12, and the slave device A is connected to the slave electrical interface 21, then the main photoelectric conversion unit 4 converts the optical signal transmitted by the master control device A into an electrical signal, and then sends it to the slave device A through the cross switch 3 and the slave photoelectric conversion unit 5.

[0023] By incorporating optical interfaces, electrical interfaces, and photoelectric conversion units, the CXL converter allows for flexible interconnection with both master and slave devices, enabling the selection of optical and / or electrical communication connections based on environmental and functional requirements. This facilitates flexible interconnection between master and slave devices, and between slave devices, combining near-end and far-end connections. Optical communication offers advantages such as large transmission capacity, wide bandwidth, long transmission distance, low signal attenuation, and strong anti-interference capabilities, making it particularly advantageous for long-distance device connections. Electrical communication, on the other hand, offers advantages such as low cost, good interface compatibility, convenient connection, low power requirements, and simple troubleshooting, making it particularly advantageous for short-distance device connections. The CXL converter in this application allows for the selection of optical and / or electrical communication connections on both the uplink and downlink ends, enabling rich and flexible near-end and far-end integration between devices and systems.

[0024] Taking rack-mount devices as an example, the computing devices, memory pools, storage devices, and network devices within the rack-mount device can be connected via optical or electrical communication as needed. For connections between different rack-mount devices or between different data centers, optical communication connections can be used as required. This provides a more flexible interconnection method, ensuring long-distance transmission efficiency while also considering troubleshooting and cost requirements.

[0025] In an optional implementation, the slave device interface 2 may include a computing interface and a storage interface. The computing interface is used to connect to a computing device, and the storage interface is used to connect to a storage device. It should be noted that the division of the slave device interface 2 into a computing interface and a storage interface is based on the type of external device, while the division of the slave device interface 2 into an electrical interface 21 and an optical interface 22 is based on the signal transmission type. That is, the computing interface can be an electrical interface 21 and / or an optical interface 22, and the storage interface can also be an electrical interface 21 and / or an optical interface 22.

[0026] There can be multiple computing interfaces, or multiple interface types. For example, computing interfaces can include one or more of the following: CXL Type 1 device interface and CXL Type 2 device interface. There can also be multiple storage interfaces, or multiple interface types. For example, storage interfaces can include one or more of the following: CXL Type 3 device interface, Solid State Drive (SSD) interface, and Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM) interface.

[0027] The CXL Type 1 device interface is used to connect CXL Type 1 devices. These interfaces and devices support the CXL.cache and CXL.io protocols, and include devices such as smart network interface cards (NICs), some Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) inference chips. The CXL Type 2 device interface is used to connect CXL Type 2 devices. These interfaces and devices support the CXL.cache, CXL.mem, and CXL.io protocols, and include devices such as accelerators and AI training chips. The CXL Type 3 device interface is used to connect CXL Type 3 devices. These interfaces and devices support the CXL.mem and CXL.io protocols, and include devices such as Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM) and Phase-Change Memory (PM).

[0028] Specifically, by setting up computing and storage interfaces in the CXL converter, it is possible to integrate various types of computing devices, storage devices, and main control devices into a single system. Based on the interaction and communication between different devices within this system, more complex storage functions and integrated computing and storage functions (such as data computing acceleration, persistent in-memory data storage, and storage data computing management) can be achieved through the collaboration of different storage devices and computing and storage devices.

[0029] In an optional implementation, the CXL converter may also include a cache routing unit, to which both the computing interface and the storage interface are connected (i.e., both the computing interface and the storage interface are connected to the cross switch 3 via the cache routing unit), so that the computing device and the storage device can communicate through the cache routing unit.

[0030] It should be noted that without a cached routing unit, the slave devices can only communicate with the master device through the channel opened by cross switch 3. In this case, all access between slave devices requires the master device to forward access requests, and the data transmission between slave devices also needs to be processed one by one by the master device, which is inefficient.

[0031] This application incorporates a cached routing unit within the CXL converter to connect the compute interface and the storage interface. Through the distribution function of the cached routing unit, access requests obtained from the compute interface can be distributed to the corresponding storage interface, and vice versa. Specifically, all slave device interfaces 2 are connected via the cached routing unit, which establishes direct communication channels between slave devices. This includes communication between compute devices and storage devices, between compute devices themselves, and between storage devices, significantly improving efficiency.

[0032] The direct communication channel between slave devices established by the cache routing unit, and the channel between slave devices and the master device opened via crossbar switch 3, enable efficient execution of in-memory computing instructions. Specifically, when the master device issues control commands that combine data access and computing requirements, crossbar switch 3 opens the channel between the master device interface 1 and the corresponding computing interface based on the control commands to transmit the control commands to the computing device. The computing device generates and sends an access request to the cache routing unit based on the control commands, and the cache routing unit forwards the access request to the corresponding storage interface to access the corresponding storage device. Since the computing device can directly access the storage device through the cache routing unit without going through the master device, access efficiency is greatly improved.

[0033] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this application also provide a rack device, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the system includes: a master control device 6, a slave device 7, and the CXL converter 8 provided in the aforementioned embodiment. The master control device 6 is connected to the master device interface 1, and the slave device 7 is connected to the slave device interface 2. The master control device 6 and the slave device 7 can perform electrical and / or optical communication based on the path opened by the cross switch 3.

[0034] In alternative implementations, such as Figure 3 As shown, the slave device 7 includes a CXL controller 71, which includes a device electrical interface 711 and a device optical interface 712 to enable electrical and / or optical transmission connections with external devices connected to the slave device 7. The external devices include any one or more of the CXL converter 8, the master device 6, and other slave devices 7.

[0035] Specifically, the slave device 7 is connected to the CXL converter 8 via the CXL controller 71. When the slave device 7 is a storage device, the CXL controller 71 is connected to the storage medium to parse received access requests and control access to the storage medium based on the access requests.

[0036] Specifically, the slave device 7 includes an electrical interface 711 and an optical interface 712, enabling more flexible connection to remote or near-end external devices. A photoelectric conversion unit can also be added to the slave device 7 to connect the electrical interface 711 and the optical interface 712, achieving photoelectric signal conversion. This, combined with the slave electrical interface 21 and slave optical interface 22 in the CXL converter 8, enriches the interconnection methods between the master control device 6, the CXL converter 8, and the slave device 7, making the interconnection of various CXL devices within rack units, between rack units, between systems, and between server rooms more flexible. Not only can the CXL converter 8 and the master control device 6 be connected via either an electrical or optical interface, but the CXL converter 8 and the slave device 7, as well as between slave devices 7 and the master control device 6, can also be connected via either an electrical or optical interface.

[0037] In an optional implementation, the slave device 7 can be connected to devices within the rack assembly via an electrical interface 711 and / or an optical interface 712. The slave device 7 can also be connected to devices outside the rack assembly via the optical interface 712. Alternatively, optical communication can be used between devices at remote locations (across rack assemblies or data centers), while electrical communication can be used between devices at near-end locations (within the rack assembly). This combines the long-distance advantages of optical transmission with the short-distance cost and maintenance advantages of electrical transmission.

[0038] In an optional implementation, the CXL controller 71 may also include a selector 713, and both the device electrical interface 711 and the device optical interface 712 are connected to external devices through the selector 713, so that the connection path can be switched based on the selector 713.

[0039] In an optional implementation, the slave device 7 can be configured to connect to both the CXL converter 8 and the target device via selector 713. When communication with the device connected to the CXL converter 8 is required, selector 713 opens the connection channel between the slave device 7 and the CXL converter 8; when communication with the target device is required, selector 713 opens the connection channel between the slave device 7 and the target device. The target device is the master device 6 and / or another slave device 7. This improves the communication efficiency between the slave device 7 and the target device.

[0040] Specifically, selector 713 can switch the external path of slave device 7 according to instructions or triggering factors (such as timed switching or switching when parameter changes are detected). Specifically, it can switch whether slave device 7 connects to the external device via device optical interface 712 or device electrical interface 711, and it can also switch which external device slave device 7 connects to, thereby further enriching the functionality by switching the connection mode of slave device 7.

[0041] For example, such as Figure 4As shown, assume that one interface of device 7 (e.g., device electrical interface 711) is connected to CXL converter 8, and another interface (e.g., device optical interface 712) is directly connected to master device 6. When device 7 needs to communicate with other devices connected to CXL converter 8, selector 713 selects the interface connected to CXL converter 8; when device 7 needs to communicate directly with master device 6, selector 713 selects the interface connected to master device 6. This improves the communication efficiency between device 7 and master device 6.

[0042] For example, suppose that multiple electrical interfaces 711 of device 7 are connected to CXL converter 8 and master control device 6 respectively, and multiple optical interfaces 712 of device 7 are directly connected to target device A and target device B respectively. When device 7 needs to communicate with other devices connected to CXL converter 8, selector 713 selects the path in device electrical interface 711 connected to CXL converter 8; when device 7 needs to communicate directly with master control device 6, selector 713 selects the path in device electrical interface 711 connected to master control device 6; when device 7 needs to communicate directly with target device A, selector 713 selects the path in device optical interface 712 connected to target device A; when device 7 needs to communicate directly with target device B, selector 713 selects the path in device optical interface 712 connected to target device B. This improves the communication efficiency between device 7 and various devices.

[0043] Since the CXL converter 8 included in the rack assembly described in this application is the same CXL converter described in the foregoing embodiments of this application, and the principle, structure, and connection method of the CXL converter with other devices have been described in detail previously, they will not be repeated here. All rack assemblies that include the CXL converter described in the embodiments of this application fall within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0044] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this application also provide an electronic system, such as... Figure 5 As shown, it includes: N rack devices 501 provided in the aforementioned embodiments, where N is greater than 1.

[0045] In an optional implementation, the rack units 501 are optically connected via optical interfaces.

[0046] Since the rack device 501 included in the electronic system described in this application embodiment is the same rack device described in the foregoing embodiments of this application, and the principle and structure of the rack device have been described in detail above, they will not be repeated here. All electronic systems that include the rack device described in the embodiments of this application fall within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0047] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention have at least the following technical effects or advantages: The CXL converter, rack-mount device, and electronic system provided in this invention enable the optical interface protocol based on the CXL protocol. The CXL converter's master device interface includes a master electrical interface and a master optical interface, while the slave device interface includes a slave electrical interface and a slave optical interface. A crossbar switch and the master device interface are connected via a master opto-conversion unit, and a crossbar switch and the slave device interface are connected via a slave opto-conversion unit. This allows the CXL converter's uplink interconnection (with the master control device) and downlink interconnection (with slave devices) to be not limited to electrical connections. Optical communication connections and / or electrical communication connections can be selected according to environmental and functional requirements. Furthermore, communication signals between devices connected to the CXL converter can be flexibly converted through the opto-conversion units. This combines the long-distance advantages of optical communication connections with the short-distance advantages of electrical communication connections, enabling rich and flexible near-end and far-end integration between devices and systems.

[0048] The algorithms and displays provided herein are not inherently related to any particular computer, virtual system, or other device. Various general-purpose systems can also be used in conjunction with the teachings herein. The required structure for constructing such systems is apparent from the above description. Furthermore, this invention is not directed to any particular programming language. It should be understood that the contents of the invention described herein can be implemented using various programming languages, and the above description of specific languages ​​is for the purpose of disclosing the best mode of implementation of the invention.

[0049] Numerous specific details are set forth in the specification provided herein. However, it will be understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this specification.

[0050] Similarly, it should be understood that, in order to streamline this disclosure and aid in understanding one or more of the various aspects of the invention, in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof.

[0051] Those skilled in the art will understand that modules in the apparatus of the embodiments can be adaptively changed and placed in one or more apparatuses different from that embodiment. Modules, units, or components in the embodiments can be combined into a single module, unit, or component, and further, they can be divided into multiple sub-modules, sub-units, or sub-components. Except where at least some of such features and / or processes or units are mutually exclusive, any combination can be employed to combine all features disclosed in this specification (including the abstract and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or apparatus so disclosed. Unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying abstract and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature that serves the same, equivalent, or similar purpose.

[0052] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that although some embodiments herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not others, combinations of features from different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention and form different embodiments.

[0053] It should be noted that the above embodiments are illustrative of the invention and not restrictive. Any reference signs placed between parentheses should not be construed as limiting the invention. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of components or steps not listed in the invention. The word "a" or "an" preceding a component does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such components. The invention can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different components and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In embodiments listing several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same hardware item. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc., does not indicate any order. These words can be interpreted as names.

Claims

1. A CXL translator, characterized by, include: Master device interface, slave device interface, and cross switch; The master device interface is used to connect to the master control device, and the slave device interface is used to connect to the slave device; The master device interface includes a master electrical interface and a master optical interface, and the slave device interface includes a slave electrical interface and a slave optical interface; The main electrical interface and the main optical interface are connected to the cross switch via a main photoelectric conversion unit, and the slave electrical interface and the slave optical interface are connected to the cross switch via a slave photoelectric conversion unit, so that the master control device and the slave device can perform electrical communication and / or optical communication based on the path opened by the cross switch; The slave device interface includes a computing interface and a storage interface. The computing interface is used to connect to a computing device, and the storage interface is used to connect to a storage device. The CXL converter also includes a cache routing unit. Both the computing interface and the storage interface are connected to the cache routing unit so that the computing device and the storage device can communicate through the cache routing unit.

2. The CXL converter as described in claim 1, characterized in that: When the control command issued by the master control device is a command that combines data access and computing requirements, the cross switch opens the channel between the master device interface and the computing interface based on the control command to transmit the control command to the computing device; the computing device generates and sends an access request to the cache routing unit based on the control command, and the cache routing unit forwards the access request to the corresponding storage interface to access the corresponding storage device.

3. A rack device, characterized by include: The master control device, the slave device, and the CXL converter according to any one of claims 1 to 2; The master control device is connected to the master device interface, and the slave device is connected to the slave device interface; the master control device and the slave device can perform electrical communication and / or optical communication based on the path opened by the cross switch.

4. The rack assembly as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The slave device includes a CXL controller, which includes a device electrical interface and a device optical interface to enable electrical and / or optical transmission connections with external devices connected to the slave device. The external device includes one or more of the following: the CXL converter, the master control device, and other slave devices.

5. The rack assembly as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The slave device is connected to the device within the rack assembly via the device's electrical interface and / or the device's optical interface; The slave device is connected to devices outside the rack assembly via the device's optical interface.

6. The rack assembly as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The CXL controller includes a selector, and both the device electrical interface and the device optical interface are connected to the external device through the selector, so as to switch the connection path based on the selector.

7. The rack assembly as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The slave device is connected to the CXL converter and the target device respectively via the selector; When a device needs to communicate with the CXL converter, the selector opens the connection channel between the slave device and the CXL converter; when a device needs to communicate with the target device, the selector opens the connection channel between the slave device and the target device. The target device is the master control device and / or other slave device.

8. An electronic system, characterized by include: The rack assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein there are N rack assemblies, where N is greater than 1.

9. The electronic system as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: The rack units are connected via optical communication interfaces.

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