CXL Memory Module Ownership Exchange for Low-Latency Host Sharing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data center systems face challenges in efficiently managing memory coherency and data sharing across multiple hosts, particularly in high-performance workloads like artificial intelligence and machine learning, where rapid data sharing is essential, and maintaining security and operational efficiency during virtual machine migrations.
Innovation Solution
A memory module with a Compute Express Link (CXL) device enables hosts to share pooled memory through a memory buffer that manages memory region ownership exchanges, using CXL protocols for coherent data access and encryption, allowing bidirectional or unidirectional data communication without modifying host-side page tables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If memory regions are exchanged between hosts through traditional methods, then data sharing is achieved, but system latency increases and performance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a memory buffer as an intermediary component that manages memory region exchanges between hosts. The buffer contains translation tables that map host physical addresses to memory regions, enabling rapid ownership exchange without direct host intervention. This intermediary structure resolves the contradiction by providing a dedicated hardware component that handles address translation and memory ownership changes at high speed, eliminating the latency associated with software-based memory management approaches.
2Reliability
If memory coherency is maintained across multiple hosts, then data consistency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where the memory buffer automatically maintains coherency information through translation tables that track which hosts have access to which memory regions. The system self-manages coherency by updating translation table entries when memory ownership changes, without requiring external coherency protocols or complex coordination between hosts. This approach maintains reliable memory coherency while minimizing system complexity by embedding coherency management within the buffer's address translation functionality.
3Manufacturing precision
If host-side page tables are modified during memory exchange, then memory allocation accuracy is improved, but operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the memory management functionality from the hosts and consolidates it within the memory buffer. The buffer maintains its own translation tables that map host physical addresses to memory regions, separating this critical function from the host systems. This extraction eliminates the need to modify host-side page tables during memory exchanges, as all address translation and memory ownership management occurs within the buffer. The result is precise memory allocation control without the time penalty of updating host page tables.
4Reliability
If security measures are implemented during virtual machine migration, then data protection is improved, but operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The memory buffer serves as a secure intermediary during virtual machine migration, managing memory region ownership transfers between hosts. The translation tables within the buffer provide inherent security by controlling which hosts can access which memory regions, ensuring that migrated virtual machines only access authorized memory spaces. This intermediary approach maintains strong security controls while enabling efficient migration operations, as the buffer handles security checks through its address translation mechanism rather than requiring separate security validation steps.
Data Source
AI summary
Described are computational systems in which hosts share pooled memory on the same memory module. A memory buffer with access to the pooled memory manages which regions of the memory are allocated to the different hosts such that memory regions, and thus the data they contain, can be exchanged between hosts. Unidirectional or bidirectional data exchanges between hosts swap regions of equal size so the amount of memory allocated to each host is not changed as a result of the exchange.