FPGA Rule Condition Checks for Low-Latency Stream Decisions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional business rule processing systems face challenges with large and growing rule sets and data volumes, leading to high latency and potential bottlenecks in decision-making processes, especially when handling high-speed data streams.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a hardware-accelerated rule condition check system using a coprocessor, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), which streams data and generates rule condition check results at bus bandwidth rates, reducing latency by offloading processing tasks from main processors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If conventional business rule processing systems are used to handle large rule sets and data volumes, then processing capacity is maintained, but latency increases and bottlenecks occur in decision-making processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional software-based rule processing on general-purpose processors with hardware-accelerated processing using FPGAs and coprocessors. This substitution of mechanical/software systems with hardware systems enables parallel processing of rule conditions at bus bandwidth rates, dramatically reducing decision-making latency while maintaining high processing throughput for large rule sets and data volumes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the rule processing system into multiple independent processing units that can operate in parallel. Each processing unit handles specific rule conditions or data streams independently, allowing simultaneous evaluation of multiple rules without sequential bottlenecks. This segmentation enables the system to process large rule sets and data volumes with reduced latency by distributing the processing load across multiple hardware units
2Speed
If main processors handle all processing tasks, then system simplicity is maintained, but processing speed decreases due to latency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces coprocessors and FPGAs as intermediary hardware components between the main processor and data streams. These intermediaries handle rule condition evaluation and processing tasks that would otherwise burden the main processor, enabling faster processing speeds by offloading tasks to specialized hardware units while maintaining manageable system architecture through standardized interfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamically reconfigurable FPGAs that can adapt their processing logic based on the specific rule sets and data characteristics being processed. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to optimize processing speed for different workloads without requiring complete system redesign, balancing processing speed requirements with acceptable system architecture complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for hardware-accelerating various data processing operations in a rule-based decision-making system such as a business rules engine, an event stream processor, and a complex event stream processor. Preferably, incoming data streams are checked against a plurality of rule conditions. Among the data processing operations that are hardware-accelerated include rule condition check operations, filtering operations, and path merging operations. The rule condition check operations generate rule condition check results for the processed data streams, wherein the rule condition check results are indicative of any rule conditions which have been satisfied by the data streams. The generation of such results with a low degree of latency provides enterprises with the ability to perform timely decision-making based on the data present in received data streams.