Circuit Switch Reconfiguration for Computing System Workloads
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Solution Overview
Problem
In computing systems, reconfiguring temporary configurations of computing resources is often time-consuming due to packet-switched network fabrics, making it impractical for jobs of short duration, as significant lag time is required to route data, which hinders efficient execution of workloads with a small number of instructions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a circuit switch using electrical or optical circuitry to rapidly route data signals between computing resources, allowing for the initiation of temporary configurations with minimal lag time, and a controller that analyzes workloads to divide them into granular portions and determine whether temporary configurations would improve performance, thereby optimizing workload execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If packet-switched network fabrics are used to route data between computing resources, then data routing flexibility is improved, but lag time increases making it impractical for short-duration jobs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces packet-switched network fabric with a circuit-switched fabric that establishes dedicated communication paths between computing resources. This substitution eliminates the packet routing overhead and lag time while maintaining connectivity flexibility through dynamic path establishment, directly resolving the contradiction between routing flexibility and time delay.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary configuration of communication paths before executing workloads. By pre-establishing dedicated circuits and configuring the circuit-switched fabric in advance, the system eliminates runtime routing delays, allowing short-duration jobs to execute immediately without the lag time inherent in packet-switched systems.
2Speed
If circuit switch is used to route data signals rapidly, then execution speed for short-duration jobs is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit-switched fabric is designed to handle multiple types of computing workloads and communication patterns through a unified architecture. The same circuit switching infrastructure supports various temporary configurations for different job types, reducing the need for specialized hardware and minimizing overall system complexity while maintaining high routing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically reconfigures the circuit-switched fabric to create temporary configurations matched to specific workload requirements. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to optimize performance for different job types without requiring static dedicated hardware for each scenario, balancing speed improvement with manageable complexity through software-controlled reconfiguration.
3Productivity
If temporary configurations are reconfigured frequently for different workloads, then resource utilization efficiency is improved, but reconfiguration time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces packet-switched reconfiguration mechanisms with circuit-switched reconfiguration that establishes dedicated paths more rapidly. This substitution reduces the time required to reconfigure temporary configurations between workloads, enabling frequent reconfiguration to improve resource utilization without significant time penalties.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary configuration of circuit paths and temporary configurations before workload execution begins. By pre-establishing the necessary communication paths and resource allocations, the system minimizes actual reconfiguration time when switching between workloads, allowing frequent reconfiguration to maintain high resource utilization efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the efficient execution of workloads with short durations by reducing lag time and allowing dynamic reallocation of resources, thereby increasing the number of concurrent workloads and improving overall system performance.
Implementation Method 1
Implementing a circuit switch using electrical or optical circuitry to rapidly route data signals between computing resources
Implementation Method 2
Implementing a circuit switch using electrical or optical circuitry to rapidly route data signals between computing resources
Data Source
AI summary
Example implementations relate to executing a workload in a computing system including processing devices, memory devices, and a circuit switch. An example includes identifying first and second instruction-level portions to be consecutively executed by the computing system; determining a first subset of processing devices and a first subset of memory devices to be used to execute the first instruction-level portion; controlling the circuit switch to interconnect the first subset of processing devices and the first subset of memory devices during execution of the first instruction-level portion; determining a second subset of the processing devices and a second subset of the memory devices to be used to execute the second instruction-level portion; and controlling the circuit switch to interconnect the second subset of processing devices and the second subset of memory devices during execution of the second instruction-level portion.