Chaining Operations in Accelerator Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Accelerator devices perform computing operations independently, leading to increased latency and decreased system performance due to the need for separate requests for each operation, which can hinder efficiency and throughput.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a technique that allows accelerator devices to chain multiple operations, such as hash, compression, encryption, and decryption, into a single request, enabling parallel processing and reducing the need for repeated parameter specification, thereby improving system performance and security.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate requests are issued for each independent operation, then each operation can be performed correctly, but system latency increases and throughput decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation correctnessVSAvoidsystem throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple independent operations (hash, compression, encryption, decryption) into a single chained operation that can be initiated with one request. The accelerator device maintains an operation chain where the output of one operation becomes the input of the next operation automatically, eliminating the need for separate requests and intermediate data transfers, thus improving throughput while maintaining operational correctness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements continuous processing by chaining operations where the output buffer of one operation is directly connected to the input buffer of the next operation. This eliminates idle time between operations and maintains continuous data flow through the accelerator device, improving system productivity without compromising the reliability of each individual operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

2Ease of operation

If separate requests are issued for each operation, then parameter specification is explicit, but system latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveparameter specification clarityVSAvoidsystem latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent allows parameter specification to be performed in advance when establishing the operation chain. Configuration parameters for multiple operations can be set upfront, and the accelerator device retains these settings for the duration of the chain execution. This preliminary configuration reduces the need for repeated parameter specification during operation execution, thereby reducing latency while maintaining operational clarity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If multiple operations are performed independently, then each operation can be optimized separately, but resource utilization decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation optimizationVSAvoidresource utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal operation chain framework that can accommodate multiple different operation types (hash, compression, encryption, decryption) in various combinations. The same infrastructure and resource pools are used across all operation types, improving overall resource utilization. Each operation type can still be individually optimized within the chain while sharing common resources such as memory buffers, processing units, and control logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20230350720A1Chaining Services in an Accelerator Device

Publication Date: 2023.11.02 INTEL CORP

AI summary

An accelerator device may receive, from an application, an application programming interface (API) call to chain an encryption operation for data and a data transformation operation for the data. The accelerator device may cause two or more hardware accelerators of the accelerator device to execute the encryption operation for the data and the data transformation operation for the data based on the API call.