Cross-Network Bridge Translation for Low-Overhead Device Disaggregation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cloud computing systems face challenges in efficiently disaggregating server resources across networks, leading to inefficiencies in device allocation and communication, particularly in handling diverse computing demands from various users.
Innovation Solution
A cross-network bridging apparatus and method that translates system-bus transactions into network packets for communication between local and remote processors, using bridging circuitry to maintain queue pairs and coalesce transactions, supporting protocols like RDMA and SEND, and translating Message-Signaled-Interrupts (MSI-X) into RDMA Extended Reliable Connection (XRC) messages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If device disaggregation is implemented to allocate server resources to remote clients, then resource allocation flexibility is improved, but communication efficiency and response time deteriorate due to network latency and data translation overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cross-network bridge as an intermediary device between the system bus and network. This bridge translates system-bus transactions into network packets and vice versa, enabling device disaggregation while managing the complexity of communication between different domains. The intermediary handles protocol conversion and data translation to minimize the impact of network latency on response time.
2Adaptability or versatility
If system-bus transactions are translated to network packets for remote communication, then connectivity between local and remote devices is improved, but CPU overhead increases due to translation and data unit formatting
Solution Approach 1:
The bridging circuitry is designed to perform self-service by autonomously translating system-bus transactions into network packets without requiring continuous CPU intervention. The bridge maintains its own translation tables and routing information, allowing it to handle protocol conversion independently and reducing the CPU overhead that would otherwise be required for each translation operation.
3Productivity
If multiple queue pairs are maintained for concurrent transactions, then throughput is improved, but device complexity increases due to queue management and scheduling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transaction handling into multiple independent queue pairs, each dedicated to specific communication flows. This segmentation allows concurrent transactions to be processed in parallel, improving throughput. The bridge maintains separate work queues for different queue pairs, enabling independent management and scheduling of transactions without requiring complex coordination between all possible transaction combinations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes multiple devices, multiple processors and a cross-network bridge. The cross-network bridge includes a bus interface for connecting to a system bus, and bridging circuitry configured to translate between (i) system-bus transactions that are exchanged between one or more local devices and one or more remote processors among the processors, the one or more local devices being coupled to the system bus and served by the system bus, and the one or more remote processors being located across a network from the cross-network bridge, and (ii) data units that convey the system-bus transactions, for transmitting and receiving as network packets over the network to and from the remote processors.