Application Buffer Segmentation Using Metadata-Driven Packet Boundaries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computer systems face inefficiencies in segmenting application buffers into data packets, particularly for protocols like QUIC, due to CPU-intensive software-based methods that do not effectively utilize hardware resources.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid hardware-software approach is implemented, where metadata is used to identify segmentation points and replicate headers as needed, enabling efficient segmentation of application buffers into data packets, with hardware acceleration to reduce processing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If software-based segmentation methods are used, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but processing speed and CPU efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The segmentation function is divided between hardware and software components. Hardware handles the intensive segmentation operations using metadata-driven approaches, while software manages control logic and coordination. This division resolves the contradiction by improving processing speed through hardware acceleration without requiring complete hardware redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
Metadata structures serve as intermediaries between the application buffer and the segmentation hardware. These metadata contain information about packet types, offsets, and lengths that enable hardware to efficiently segment data without complex software processing, thus improving speed while maintaining implementation feasibility.
2Loss of time
If hardware acceleration is implemented, then processing cycles are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses metadata copies that contain segmented information about data packets. Instead of physically duplicating entire data structures, the system creates lightweight metadata representations that guide hardware segmentation operations, reducing processing cycles while minimizing the complexity increase through efficient data duplication strategies.
Solution Approach 2:
The hardware segmentation mechanism operates by changing processing parameters based on metadata information such as packet type, offset, and length. This parameter-driven approach enables fast hardware execution without requiring complex adaptive logic, thus reducing processing time with acceptable hardware complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If metadata-driven segmentation is used, then segmentation precision is improved, but information processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Metadata about segmentation points, packet types, and data offsets is prepared and stored in advance before the actual segmentation occurs. This preliminary organization of information enables precise hardware segmentation without requiring complex real-time analysis, thus improving precision while keeping processing complexity manageable through advance preparation.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, a method, and a computer program for generating data packets according to a transport protocol from an application buffer comprising a plurality of data streams is provided. The apparatus comprises an input circuit configured to receive metadata comprising at least one of information about data packet types supported by the transport protocol, information about an offset and a length of the supported data packet types, and information about possible stream header start positions, possible payload start positions and possible offsets in the data streams. Further, the apparatus comprises a parsing circuit configured to identify offsets in an application buffer as possible segmentation points based on the metadata, to segment the application buffer at the possible segmentation points into segments for data packets, and to generate data packets according to the transport protocol based on the segments. Furthermore, an apparatus, a method and a computer program for processing the application buffer is provided.