Connection State Bitmap Compression for DRAM Bandwidth Bottlenecks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Network architectures face challenges in minimizing system memory bandwidth required for storing and retrieving connection states due to limited bandwidth and the performance bottleneck of off-chip memory, such as DRAM, in connection-oriented systems.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for compressing connection state information by partitioning bitmaps into blocks and sectors, generating block and sector information sequences, and encoding sectors using lossless compression techniques to reduce the bandwidth needed for storage and retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If connection state data is stored in system memory without compression, then data retrieval is straightforward and fast, but memory bandwidth is excessively consumed and storage capacity is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The connection state bitmap is divided into multiple blocks, and each block is further divided into sectors. This hierarchical segmentation allows the system to process and transmit only the necessary portions of data, reducing overall memory bandwidth consumption while maintaining efficient access to specific connection states.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and transmits only the valid sector information and block metadata rather than the entire bitmap. By identifying and transmitting only the sectors that contain meaningful connection state data, the system significantly reduces memory bandwidth consumption while preserving all necessary information for connection management.
2Quantity of substance
If connection state data is compressed using the disclosed method, then memory bandwidth consumption is reduced, but data structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compressed data structure is organized into clearly defined segments including block headers, sector information fields, and payload sections. This structured segmentation makes the complex compressed format manageable and systematic, allowing processors to efficiently parse and reconstruct the original connection state data despite the reduced bandwidth requirements.
3Quantity of substance
If off-chip DRAM is used to store connection states, then storage capacity is sufficient, but system performance is bottlenecked by memory access speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential connection state information that needs to be stored in off-chip memory, while keeping frequently accessed connection state data in faster on-chip memory structures. This selective extraction and hierarchical storage approach allows sufficient use of large off-chip DRAM capacity while minimizing the performance bottleneck by reducing the frequency and volume of slow memory accesses.
Data Source
AI summary
Compressing connection state information for a network connection including receiving an input bitmap having a sequence of bits describing transmit states and receive states; partitioning the input bitmap into a plurality of equal size blocks; partitioning each of the blocks into a plurality of equal sized sectors; generating a block valid sequence indicating the blocks having at least one bit set; generating, for each block having at least one bit set, a sector information sequence, the sector information sequence indicating, for the corresponding block, the sectors that have at least one bit set and an encoding type for each sector; and generating one or more symbols by encoding each sector that has at least one bit set.