Collective Communication Packet Aggregation Without Direct Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collective communication methods require hardware modules and state machines to establish connections between network devices and terminal devices, leading to increased hardware investment and resource overheads.
Innovation Solution
A network device aggregates and distributes collective communication packets using connections between terminal devices without establishing direct connections, reducing the need for hardware modules and state machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a connection is established between network device and terminal device using hardware module and state machine, then communication reliability is improved, but hardware investment and resource overheads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the connection establishment function from the network device by removing the hardware module and state machine. Instead, terminal devices establish connections directly with each other through peer-to-peer communication, while the network device only performs packet forwarding based on routing tables, eliminating the need for connection state maintenance at the network device level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach where terminal devices act as their own connection managers. The network device serves as a simple packet forwarder that uses routing tables (intermediary data structure) to guide packet delivery without needing to understand or maintain connection states, thus decoupling the connection management function from the forwarding function.
2Stability of the object's composition
If connection establishment is implemented with hardware module and state machine, then connection state maintenance is improved, but resource overheads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling terminal devices to autonomously establish and maintain connections with each other. Each terminal device manages its own connection state locally without requiring the network device to allocate resources for connection maintenance, thus distributing the computational burden and reducing overall system resource overheads.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the connection management function from the packet forwarding function. Connection establishment and state maintenance are handled at the terminal device level (segment 1), while the network device handles only packet routing based on pre-computed routing tables (segment 2), allowing each component to operate independently with optimized resource usage.
3Productivity
If direct connection between network device and terminal device is established, then communication efficiency is improved, but hardware investment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the network device universal by designing it to handle multiple types of traffic and connections through a single routing table-based forwarding mechanism. Instead of requiring dedicated hardware modules for different connection types, the network device uses software-based routing that can adapt to various communication scenarios, thus improving versatility without increasing hardware investment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses routing tables as virtual copies of connection information that guide packet forwarding without requiring physical connection state replication. The routing table contains aggregated routing information that enables efficient packet delivery while avoiding the need for the network device to maintain actual connection states or establish direct hardware connections with each terminal device.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of this application disclose a collective communication method, apparatus, and system. The method includes: A first network device receives a first packet; the first network device receives at least one second packet; and the first network device sends a third packet based on the first packet and the at least one second packet. When no connection is established between the first network device and a terminal device, the first network device may aggregate and distribute collective communication packets by using a connection between the first terminal device and another terminal device.