FPGA SmartNIC Selective Market Data Transmission

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current electronic trading systems face challenges in managing high transaction volumes and maintaining deterministic processing while minimizing latency and resource contention, which can lead to inconsistencies and vulnerabilities, especially as transaction rates increase, exposing underlying flaws in traditional computer hardware and algorithms.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an FPGA-based system with a Smart Network Interface Controller (SmartNIC) and dynamic conditional message aggregation to improve transaction processing performance, ensure deterministic operation, and enhance fault tolerance, while also optimizing bandwidth usage and market data transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional computer hardware and algorithms are used to process high transaction volumes, then transaction processing capacity increases, but system reliability and consistency deteriorate due to exposed flaws and vulnerabilities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction processing capacityVSAvoidsystem consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional general-purpose computer hardware and software-based algorithms with an FPGA-based deterministic processing system. This substitution of mechanical/computational systems enables high transaction volumes to be processed while maintaining system reliability through hardware-enforced deterministic behavior that eliminates software-based inconsistencies and vulnerabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the fundamental operational parameters of the transaction processing system by implementing fixed, predetermined processing paths and timing parameters in hardware. This transforms the system from variable, software-controlled processing to fixed, hardware-enforced deterministic processing, maintaining consistency even at high transaction volumes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of information

If substantially continuously updated market data is transmitted to all market participants, then information availability improves, but network bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemarket data availabilityVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements selective data transmission where only relevant market data updates are sent to market participants based on their specific interests and subscriptions. Instead of transmitting all updates to all participants, the system performs partial transmission of only necessary information, reducing network bandwidth consumption while maintaining adequate information availability for trading decisions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies different data transmission qualities to different market participants based on their local needs and subscriptions. Each participant receives market data with appropriate detail and frequency tailored to their specific trading requirements, rather than a uniform transmission approach, optimizing bandwidth utilization across the network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20240005402A1Conservation of electronic communications resources via selective publication of substantially continuously updated data over a communications network

Publication Date: 2024.01.04 CHICAGO MERCANTILE EXCHANGE INC

AI summary

The disclosed embodiments relate to the electronic communication of messages via a communications network reflective of substantially continuously updated data in an electronic transaction processing system. The disclosed embodiments conserver electronic communications resources, e.g. bandwidth, while preserving real time delivery of critical data via selective or conditional publication and transmission of messages.