Direct Data Placement Over UDP for Converged Network Messaging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current network technologies, such as InfiniBand, require specialized hardware and separate networks for message passing and traditional operations, limiting scalability and interoperability, while traditional protocols like UDP/IP add complexity and latency.

Innovation Solution

A method for direct data placement over UDP in a network environment is implemented by creating a queue pair for unreliable datagram transport using the OpenFabrics API, mapping data to UDP datagrams, and passing them to network hardware for transmission, enabling message passing functionality over a single converged network.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If specialized hardware like InfiniBand is used for message passing, then high performance and efficiency are achieved, but device complexity and network separation requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemessage passing performanceVSAvoidnetwork infrastructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges message passing functionality and traditional network operations onto a single converged network infrastructure using UDP/IP protocol. This eliminates the need for separate InfiniBand networks while maintaining performance through direct data placement capabilities, thereby reducing device complexity and infrastructure requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention enables the standard UDP/IP network protocol to perform both traditional network operations and message passing functions that previously required specialized hardware. By making the network infrastructure multi-functional, it can handle diverse workloads without requiring separate specialized networks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If traditional UDP/IP protocol is used for network communication, then interoperability and scalability are improved, but communication complexity and latency increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork interoperabilityVSAvoidprotocol complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the message passing functionality from complex specialized protocols and implements it directly over simplified UDP/IP. By taking out the essential data placement capability and applying it to the simpler UDP protocol, it reduces protocol complexity while maintaining interoperability benefits of standard networks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If separate networks are used for message passing and traditional operations, then performance is maintained, but scalability and interoperability are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication efficiencyVSAvoidnetwork scalability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines message passing and traditional network operations into a single converged network using UDP/IP. This merger enables the network to scale more effectively and interoperate with standard network infrastructure while maintaining communication efficiency through optimized direct data placement mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS9307053B2Direct data placement over user datagram protocol in a network environment

Publication Date: 2016.04.05 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

An example method for direct data placement over User Datagram Protocol (UDP) in a network environment is provided and includes creating a queue pair (QP) for unreliable datagram transport in Infiniband according to an OpenFabrics Application Programming Interface (API) specification, mapping data generated by an application for transmission over the QP in a network environment to a UDP datagram, and passing the UDP datagram to a network interface for transmission.