Flexible RDMA Controller for Multi-Protocol Packet Offload

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing RDMA technologies lack flexibility and efficiency in supporting multiple protocols and protocols developed after manufacture, leading to suboptimal performance and resource utilization.

Innovation Solution

A generic RDMA controller that translates data packets from arbitrary RDMA protocols to generic operations, utilizing a hardware accelerator to bypass CPU operations and maintain connection context, enabling support for various protocols and reducing resource load.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If processor-based RDMA implementations use processor instructions stored in firmware to decode packets, then the system can support multiple protocols, but the performance and configurability are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotocol support flexibilityVSAvoidRDMA performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces processor-based firmware decoding with a hardware accelerator that performs packet decoding and RDMA operations in hardware. This substitution of mechanical/processor-based operations with dedicated hardware circuitry resolves the contradiction by providing both high performance (through hardware acceleration) and protocol flexibility (through configurable hardware logic that can be programmed to handle different RDMA protocols).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a dynamically reconfigurable hardware accelerator that can be programmed to support different RDMA protocols. The hardware logic can be configured at runtime to adapt to various protocol requirements, providing both high performance through hardware execution and versatility through reconfigurability, thus resolving the contradiction between speed and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If a hardware accelerator is introduced to improve RDMA performance, then processing speed increases, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveRDMA processing speedVSAvoidcontroller hardware complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs a universal hardware accelerator that can handle multiple RDMA protocols and operation types through a single reconfigurable device. The accelerator includes programmable logic that can be configured to perform different RDMA functions, reducing the need for multiple dedicated hardware components and thereby managing complexity while maintaining high performance across various protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a configurable hardware accelerator as an intermediary between the network interface and memory system. This mediator handles the complex packet decoding and RDMA operations, shielding the rest of the system from complexity while providing high-performance direct memory access. The accelerator acts as a specialized intermediate layer that manages the complexity internally while presenting a simplified interface externally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If CPU is used to decode RDMA packets, then protocol flexibility is maintained, but CPU resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotocol configurabilityVSAvoidCPU resource usage

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces CPU-based packet decoding with a dedicated hardware accelerator that performs RDMA operations autonomously. This substitution moves the decoding workload from the general-purpose CPU to specialized hardware, dramatically reducing CPU resource consumption while maintaining protocol flexibility through configurable hardware logic that can be programmed to handle different RDMA protocols without CPU involvement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20250348455A1Flexible remote direct memory access

Publication Date: 2025.11.13 AMAZON TECH INC

AI summary

Apparatus and methods are disclosed herein for remote, direct memory access (RDMA) technology that enables direct memory access from one host computer memory to another host computer memory over a physical or virtual computer network according to a number of different RDMA protocols. In one example, a method includes receiving remote direct memory access (RDMA) packets via a network adapter, deriving a protocol index identifying an RDMA protocol used to encode data for an RDMA transaction associated with the RDMA packets, applying the protocol index to a generate RDMA commands from header information in at least one of the received RDMA packets, and performing an RDMA operation using the RDMA commands.