Ethernet Interface Virtual Lane Segmentation for Low Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication systems face challenges in providing an efficient Ethernet interface that optimizes bandwidth, minimizes delay, and reduces resource consumption, especially as data stream sizes increase, requiring a solution that addresses performance and compatibility concerns.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a system with multiple communication channels and virtual lanes, using 64 B/66 B encoding and alignment mechanisms to enable efficient data transfer across electrical and optical interfaces, allowing for lane bonding and aggregation with low overhead and minimal latency, independent of packet size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional communication interfaces are used to accommodate large data streams, then bandwidth capacity is increased, but system overhead and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication interface into multiple virtual lanes (e.g., 4x10G or 8x10G lanes) that can be independently managed and aggregated. Each virtual lane operates as a separate communication channel, allowing large data streams to be distributed across multiple smaller lanes, thereby maintaining bandwidth capacity while reducing the overhead complexity of managing a single large interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the dimension of virtual lane aggregation, where multiple physical or logical lanes are combined to form a higher-capacity interface. This dimensional approach allows the system to scale bandwidth by adding lanes rather than increasing the complexity of a single lane, enabling flexible bandwidth adjustment from 10G to 100G or beyond through simple lane aggregation.
2Quantity of substance
If communication systems are designed to handle increasing data stream sizes, then bandwidth is optimized, but delay and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting data streams into smaller units that can be transmitted across multiple virtual lanes simultaneously, the patent reduces the time required to transmit large data streams. Parallel transmission across multiple lanes eliminates the sequential bottleneck, thereby optimizing bandwidth while minimizing transmission delay.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous data transmission across multiple virtual lanes without interruption or buffering delays. By maintaining active transmission across all lanes simultaneously, the system eliminates idle time and ensures continuous useful action, thereby reducing overall latency while handling large data streams.
3Use of energy by moving object
If resource consumption is reduced in communication interfaces, then efficiency is improved, but performance and compatibility suffer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic lane aggregation, where the number of active virtual lanes can be adjusted based on traffic requirements. This dynamic approach allows the system to consume resources efficiently by activating only the necessary number of lanes while maintaining the capability to scale up to full performance when needed, thereby balancing resource consumption with performance and compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal interface that can operate at multiple bandwidth levels (10G, 40G, 100G, etc.) using the same physical infrastructure. This multi-functionality allows the system to maintain full performance and compatibility across different data stream sizes while optimizing resource consumption by using only the bandwidth necessary for each specific application.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes n electrical communication channels, m optical communication media interfaces, and a plurality of muxes. The plurality of muxes are configured to receive an information stream. The information stream is carried over the n electrical communication channels and the m optical communication media interfaces. The plurality of muxes are further configured to transform the information stream from v virtual lanes. Each virtual lane includes a plurality of data blocks from the information stream and an alignment block, wherein v is a positive integer multiple of the least common multiple of m and n, v is greater than n, and n is equal to m.