API for NUMA Node Memory Access Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current memory management operations in parallel computing platforms are inefficient in terms of time, power, and computing resources, particularly when accessing and storing data across non-uniform memory access (NUMA) nodes.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a set of APIs that allow for managed memory operations, including setting preferred memory locations, prefetching data, and indicating memory attributes, to optimize memory access and storage across NUMA nodes, utilizing APIs such as memory location preference, prefetch, and get memory attributes to manage unified memory access efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If memory management operations are performed across NUMA nodes in parallel computing platforms, then data accessibility is improved, but time consumption and power usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The memory system is segmented into multiple NUMA nodes, each with local memory. The patent implements APIs that allow applications to explicitly specify which NUMA node should serve as the preferred storage location for particular data ranges. This segmentation enables data to be stored locally at the preferred NUMA node, reducing cross-node access latency and improving time efficiency while maintaining data accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements prefetching functionality through APIs that allow applications to pre-fetch data from remote NUMA nodes before it is actually needed. By performing preliminary data transfer operations, the system reduces the time penalty of cross-node memory access, as data is already available in local memory when needed, thus resolving the time consumption issue while maintaining accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If memory management operations are performed across NUMA nodes in parallel computing platforms, then data accessibility is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting memory management into NUMA-node-specific operations with explicit preferred location specification, the system minimizes unnecessary data movement across nodes. Data is stored and accessed from local memory at the preferred NUMA node, reducing the energy required for memory operations while maintaining full data accessibility through the API interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables each NUMA node to have local control over its memory management with preferred location specifications. Applications can designate specific NUMA nodes as preferred storage locations for particular data, ensuring that data remains localized and reducing the power consumption associated with cross-node memory access while preserving data accessibility.
3Device complexity
If traditional memory access methods are used without preferred location specification, then system simplicity is maintained, but resource utilization efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal API interface that works across all NUMA nodes and provides multiple functions: specifying preferred memory locations, prefetching data, and querying memory attributes. This unified interface maintains system simplicity from the application perspective while enabling advanced memory management features that significantly improve resource utilization efficiency across the parallel computing platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer of APIs between the application and the underlying NUMA memory system. This intermediary provides a simple, unified interface for applications while handling the complex operations of preferred location specification, data prefetching, and memory attribute management, thus maintaining system simplicity while improving resource utilization efficiency through optimized memory access patterns.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses, systems, and techniques to access one or more non-uniform memory access (NUMA) nodes. In at least one embodiment, one or more circuits are to perform an application programming interface (API) to cause one or more NUMA nodes or one or more physical addresses allocated to one or more graphics processing units (GPUs) to be accessed based, at least in part, on one or more indications within the API.