Accelerator Control System with Digest Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a risk of unintended operation of accelerators due to accidental or malicious rewriting of their functions, which can lead to improper management and functionality issues in server systems.

Innovation Solution

An accelerator control system that includes a general-purpose server with an accelerator rewriting unit and a server management unit to generate and compare digest information of the accelerator function, preventing unintended changes by notifying the server of any discrepancies and instructing the accelerator board to stop or reimplement the function.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If accelerator functions are allowed to be rewritten freely to improve adaptability and versatility, then the accelerator can be updated with new functions and optimizations, but the risk of unauthorized or erroneous rewriting increases, compromising system reliability and security

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccelerator function update capabilityVSAvoidaccelerator function integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The server management unit generates digest information (hash value) of the accelerator function binary data before it is loaded onto the accelerator board, and stores this digest information securely. This preliminary action creates a reference fingerprint that can be used later to verify the integrity of the accelerator function, preventing unauthorized modifications while allowing legitimate updates through the established verification process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The accelerator board periodically reports back to the server management unit, providing feedback about its operational status and the integrity of its loaded functions. This feedback mechanism enables the server to monitor and verify that the accelerator is executing the correct function without unauthorized modifications, thus maintaining reliability while allowing the accelerator to operate independently

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the server continuously monitors and verifies accelerator function integrity through digest information comparison, then system security and reliability are improved, but communication overhead and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccelerator function integrity verificationVSAvoidverification system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of monitoring and comparing entire accelerator function binaries or detailed operational parameters, the system transforms the verification problem into comparing compact hash values (digest information). This parameter transformation dramatically reduces the data volume and computational complexity required for verification while maintaining the ability to detect any unauthorized modifications to the accelerator function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If digest information is transmitted from the accelerator board to the server for verification, then unauthorized rewriting can be detected, but communication bandwidth and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveunauthorized rewriting detectionVSAvoidcommunication energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of transmitting the actual accelerator function binary data or large amounts of verification information, the system uses a compact copy representation in the form of a hash value (digest information). This digital fingerprint serves as a succinct representation that enables comprehensive verification while consuming minimal communication bandwidth and energy, as it is much smaller than the original function data

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11822966B2Accelerator control system and accelerator control method

Publication Date: 2023.11.21 NIPPON TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE CORP

AI summary

In an accelerator control system (100), a general-purpose server (110) includes a digest information generation unit (1112) that binarizes an accelerator function to generate first digest information (130) of the accelerator function and a server management control unit (1111) that compares the first digest information (130) created before the accelerator function is implemented on an FPGA function unit (122) with second digest information (130) notified from an accelerator board (120) and determines whether the accelerator function is rewritten, and the accelerator board (120) includes a digest information generation unit (1212) that generates the second digest information (130) of the accelerator function written in the FPGA function unit (122), and an FPGA management control unit (1211) that notifies the general-purpose server (110) serving as a rewriting source of the second digest information (130) generated.